WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what progress has been made on the reform of the Equality and Human Rights Commission; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: We intend to reform the Equality and Human Rights Commission to focus it on its core regulatory and human rights functions, and provide better value for taxpayers' money. Our plans for doing this include legislative proposals which we are preparing in the context of the Public Bodies Bill, currently in the other House. We intend to consult on our proposals early next year.

Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Taskforce: Expenditure

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 81-82W, on ethnic minorities, who the members of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Task Force have been in each year since it was established.

Lynne Featherstone: The cross-party Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Women Councillors Task Force consisted of 16 current and former councillors representing all the main political parties and all the regions in England, in addition to Wales and Scotland. The taskforce was set up in May 2008 until July 2009 and membership of the group did not change over this period. The taskforce members were as follows:
	 Chair
	Baroness Uddin
	 London
	Councillor Lurline Champagnie (Harrow)-Conservative
	Councillor Maya de Souza (Camden)-Green
	Councillor Meral Ece (Islington)-Liberal Democrat
	Councillor Dr Anwara Ali (Tower Hamlets)-Labour
	Councillor Lorna Campbell (Lambeth)-Labour
	 South -e ast
	Councillor Humaira Khan(Windsor and Maidenhead)-Liberal Democrat
	Councillor Mimi Harker (Chiltern District)-Conservative
	 South -w est
	Carol Francis(Former Cllr, Gloucester)-Labour
	 East of England
	Councillor Sherma Batson (Stevenage and Hertfordshire)-Labour
	 East  m idlands
	Councillor Manjula Sood (Leicester City)-Labour
	 West  m idlands
	Councillor Salma Yaqoob(Birmingham City)-Respect
	 Yorkshire  and Humberside
	Councillor Svetlana Rodgers-Liberal Democrat
	 North -w est
	Councillor Mia Jones (Chester City)-Liberal Democrat
	 North -e ast
	Thea Khamis (former councillor Derwentside)-Labour
	 Wales
	Councillor Yvonne Jardine (Swansea)-Labour
	 Scotland
	Neelam Bakshi (former councillor)-Labour.
	 Note:
	This information is in the public domain through the BAME Women Councillors Taskforce Report. To find further information please click the following link for the full Report:
	http://www.equalities.gov.uk/pdf/Task%20Force %20Report%20Oct%202009.pdf

Equal Pay: Gender

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities when she expects the gender pay gap to be closed.

Lynne Featherstone: In 2009, the gap between full-time men's and women's median earnings was 12.2% rising to 22% when comparing median earnings for all men and women. The Government do not produce a forecast of the gender pay gap and has made no assessment as to when the gap will close. The Government are committed to tackling the gender pay gap and is taking a range of measures to improve women's position in the labour market including making pay secrecy clauses unenforceable, extending the right to request flexible working to all employees, consulting on a new system of parental leave, and promoting gender equality on company boards including asking Lord Davies to fully investigate the issue.
	(1) Source:
	ONS.

Equality: Public Bodies

William Bain: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will publish each representation she has received relevant to her decision not to implement section 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government have received a small amount of correspondence on this issue, as they do on most issues. As the correspondence was mostly from individuals, and not in response to a public consultation, I have no plans to publish it.

Equality: Public Bodies

William Bain: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will publish each representation made by the public bodies listed in section 1(3) and (4) of the Equality Act 2010 on compliance with the duty under section 1.

Lynne Featherstone: The previous Administration released information regarding their engagement with the public bodies referred to. I have received no such representations.

Equality: Public Bodies

William Bain: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities whether she plans to bring forward proposals to repeal section 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: I have made clear that the Government are not implementing the duty. We are exploring opportunities to repeal it, which would require primary legislation.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Irish Arms Trial: Disclosure of Information

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any papers held by his Department relating to the Irish Arms crisis and subsequent trial have not yet been published.

Owen Paterson: The events in question pre-date the creation of the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) in 1972. The NIO does not hold any papers on the issue.

WALES

Departmental Sponsorship

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what expenditure her Department incurred on sponsorship in each year since 1997 for which figures are available.

David Jones: Nil.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many EU directives are pending transposition into domestic legislation by her Department; and what estimate she has made of the cost of each such transposition.

David Jones: There are no EU directives pending transposition into domestic legislation by the Wales Office.

FIFA: Finance

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department spent on entertainment activities related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

David Jones: Nil.

SCOTLAND

FIFA: Finance

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on entertainment activities related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not spent any money on entertainment relating to the activities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Post Offices

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the future of the Post Office network in Scotland.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland and I have regular exchanges with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues. The Government are committed to a stable and sustainable post office network and through the Post Office Bill we will be putting the Post Office on a more secure financial footing.

Universities: Visits

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 16 November 2010,  Official Report, column 658W, on universities: visits, on what date he plans to visit the university of Edinburgh; and how many  (a) special advisers,  (b) civil servants and  (c) press officers he expects to accompany him on that visit.

Michael Moore: I plan to visit the university of Edinburgh early in the new year and will have the appropriate level of official support on the day.

Voluntary Organisations

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations; and what matters were discussed.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland has met representatives from the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations on a number of occasions. Among the topics discussed were unemployment and welfare reform, fiscal and tax issues relating to that organisation and the wider voluntary sector.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing: Construction

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the proposed new affordable homes to be built in the next four years he expects to be built in  (a) Coventry,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) London; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Department does not forecast levels of future house building, and delivery will be determined by local housing plans. In the spending review we announced investment of over £6.5 billion in housing. This includes over £2 billion to make existing social homes decent and almost £4.5 billion investment in new affordable housing to deliver up to 150,000 affordable homes. We are giving housing associations much more flexibility on rents and use of assets, so our aspiration is to deliver as many as homes as possible through our investment and reforms. On 22 November we published our consultation document "Local decisions: a fairer future for social housing" which set out our plans for radical reform of the social housing system. We will be publishing further details on affordable rent in the new year.
	The New Homes Bonus, subject to consultation, also will provide additional financial incentives for building more affordable homes.

Affordable Housing: Construction

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many units of social housing were  (a) built and  (b) sold in (i) the North East and (ii) Redcar constituency in each year since 1997.

Andrew Stunell: Information for the north east region and for Redcar and Cleveland local authority is provided in the following table.
	The new build figures are based on the Department's affordable housing statistics which include homes built for social and intermediate rent and for low cost home ownership. Not all affordable housing is provided through new build completions as supply can also come from the acquisition and refurbishment of private sector homes.
	The sales of social stock are sales of dwellings owned by local authorities or registered social landlords that are sold to sitting tenants (through right to buy, right to acquire and social homebuy) and registered social landlords stock sold to non-sitting tenants through low cost home ownership products.
	Sales generated within a financial year may not correspond directly to the supply of new build homes shown in the table for the same year as they may have been built in a preceding year. Shared ownership sales are counted in the figures at the point of purchase of the initial share purchased only. The figures exclude demolitions and also disposals of registered social landlord stock to the private sector.
	
		
			   New build affordable homes supplied  Sales of social stock 
			   North East  Redcar  and  Cleveland  North East  Redcar  and  Cleveland 
			 1997-98 1,250 60 4,090 30 
			 1998-99 950 10 3,400 110 
			 1999-2000 790 80 4,650 160 
			 2000-01 560 60 5,040 160 
			 2001-02 820 50 5,490 180 
			 2002-03 300 10 6,840 130 
			 2003-04 560 30 9,830 310 
			 2004-05 690 10 7,020 210 
			 2005-06 930 10 4,110 190 
			 2006-07 1,230 50 3,090 150 
			 2007-08 820 0 1,780 100 
			 2008-09 1,300 150 570 30 
			 2009-10 1,990 70 450 30 
			  Note:  The figures are rounded to the nearest 10 homes.  Sources: New build homes from Homes & Communities Agency; Sales from local authorities (LA sales) and the Tenant Services Authority (RSL sales).

Affordable Housing: West Midlands

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to meet levels of need for social housing in  (a) the West Midlands and  (b) Wolverhampton South West constituency.

Andrew Stunell: The Department does not forecast levels of future house building, and delivery will be determined by local housing plans. In the spending review we announced investment of over £6.5 billion in housing. This includes over £2 billion to make existing social homes decent and almost £4.5 billion investment in new affordable housing to deliver up to 150,000 affordable homes. We are giving housing associations much more flexibility on rents and use of assets, so our aspiration is to deliver as many homes as possible through our investment and reforms. On 22 November we published our consultation document 'Local decisions: a fairer future for social housing' which set out our plans for radical reform of the social housing system. We will be publishing further details on affordable rent in the new year.
	Subject to consultation, the New Homes Bonus will include an additional incentive to encourage the construction of more affordable homes.

Arm's Length Management Organisations: Audit

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what processes his Department plans to put in place to  (a) inspect,  (b) evaluate and  (c) audit arm's length management organisations following the abolition of the Audit Commission.

Andrew Stunell: We have abolished the Audit Commission reflecting the Government's commitment to reducing regulatory burdens on local authorities. In future it will be for local authorities to consider whether the performance of their arm's length management organisations should be evaluated by inspection.

Audit Commission

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) evidence his Department took into account and  (b) methodology his Department used in determining its forecast of £50 million saving arising from the abolition of the Audit Commission; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: As we stated in the 13 August announcement, we forecast savings of £50 million a year, having regard to the Commission's published annual reports and audited accounts, and recognising that in future councils will be able to appoint their own auditors from a more competitive and open market among audit firms.

Charities: Shops

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2010,  Official Report, column 30W, on charity shops, if he will consider the merits of introducing powers for local authorities to regulate the  (a) number and  (b) location of charity shops in their areas.

Bob Neill: The Use Classes Order is concerned with the land-use impacts of development rather than the owner or occupier of the premises. The order is intended to be a deregulatory mechanism which removes unnecessary applications from the planning system because the impacts would be minimal or similar to the pre-existing development. It is not the role of the planning system to give preference to one type of retailer over another.
	As I outlined in my previous answer, charity shops deliver a public benefit to society. Singling them out for extra regulation and effectively banning them from opening would be a disproportionate and heavy-handed statist intervention.

Council Housing: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish  (a) the research referred to in paragraph 3.20 of his Department's consultation paper on Reform of Council Housing Finance and  (b) the working papers produced as part of his Department's review of council housing finance.

Andrew Stunell: The research and working papers from the previous Government's Review of Council Housing Finance were published on my Department's website in July 2009. They are available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/councilhousingconsultation

Council Housing: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish a draft revised Circular 8/95 on the operation of the Housing Revenue Account ring-fence.

Andrew Stunell: We intend to publish a policy document with full details of our proposals for Housing Revenue Account reform in January. This will include our policy on the operation of the ring-fence.

Council Housing: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to allow local authorities to spend all receipts under Right to Buy legislation on Housing Revenue Account housing.

Andrew Stunell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) on 23 November 2010,  Official Report, column 197W.

Council Tax: Private Rented Housing

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many private landlords in  (a) England,  (b) Hyndburn and  (c) Haslingden have been required to pay council tax arrears by local authorities in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: This information is not held centrally.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether any  (a) civil servants and  (b) politically-appointed staff in his Department have been disciplined since 8 September 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Six civil servants and no politically appointed staff in the Department for Communities and Local Government have been disciplined since 8 September 2010.

Departmental Legal Costs

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what legal costs were incurred by his Department in the case of CALA Homes v Secretary of State.

Greg Clark: Costs are currently a matter before the courts. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 22 November 2010,  Official Report, column 52W, to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson), on costs relating to legal issues inherited from the previous Administration.

Fire Services

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire stations there were on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many fire stations he expects there to be in 2015.

Bob Neill: Latest data are for 31 March 2010, and these show that there were 1,438 fire stations in England.
	The future provision of fire stations is for individual fire and rescue authorities to determine in accordance with integrated risk management planning, with resources being allocated on the basis of the evaluation of local risk.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 25 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 88-89W, outlining how fire and rescue authorities can make savings without impacting on the quality or breadth of services offered to their communities.

Fire Services: East of England

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his plans are for future Fire Service  (a) provision and  (b) control centres in (i) East Anglia and (ii) Suffolk.

Bob Neill: The future provision of fire and rescue services, including prevention, protection and response measures, is for individual fire and rescue authorities to determine in accordance with integrated risk management planning, and resources being allocated on the basis of the evaluation of local risk. In this way local requirements are determined by local people according to local circumstances.
	The provisional local government finance settlement for the period 2011-12 will be announced in December, as in previous years. This includes the provisional grant allocations for fire and rescue authorities in East Anglia. Fire and rescue authorities will then set their budgets taking into account the amount of grant that they will receive and the income that they can raise through council tax.
	The FiReControl project, initiated by the last Government, is over-budget and behind schedule. In June this year we activated a key milestone in our contract with the main contractor, EADS (now branded Cassidian), for delivery of the FiReControl project. This required EADS to complete the main system in three control centres by mid-2011.
	Because their record has not improved on delivery of the project, we informed EADS on 8 November that we consider them to be in material breach of their obligations under the contract and required them to remedy the position in 20 working days.
	As with all major Government projects, FiReControl is being reviewed to ensure value-for-money for the taxpayer. We have been clear that EADS must deliver to time, cost and quality. The new Government are committed to ensuring value for money for the taxpayer, improving resilience and stopping the forced regionalisation of the fire service.

Fire Services: North East

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire stations there were in  (a) Cleveland,  (b) County Durham and Darlington,  (c) Northumberland and  (d) Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service area (i) on the latest date for which figures are available and (ii) in each of the last five years; and how many new stations were built in each area in each of those years.

Bob Neill: The numbers of fire stations in Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service areas are shown in the table for the latest date for which centrally held figures are available and in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Number of stations in Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear at 31 March 2006 to 2010 
			  Fire and Rescue Authority  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 Cleveland 15 15 15 15 15 
			 County Durham & Darlington 15 15 15 15 15 
			 Northumberland 18 18 18 18 18 
			 Tyne & Wear 17 17 17 17 17 
			  Source:  Annual Returns in DCLG/Chartered Institute for Public Finance Accountancy (CIPFA). 
		
	
	Numbers of new fire stations and fire station closures were also collected for each Fire and Rescue Service until 2009. These showed no new station and no closures during 2005 to 2009 in each of these areas.

Fire Services: North East

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) whole-time and  (b) retained fire fighters were employed by (i) Cleveland, (ii) County Durham and Darlington, (iii) Northumberland and (iv) Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: The numbers of  (a) whole-time and  (b) retained fire fighters employed by Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Services for 2009-10 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Whole - time and retained firefighters (headcount) employed by Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear in 2009-10 
			  Fire and Rescue Authority  Whole - time  Retained 
			 Cleveland 505 90 
			 County Durham & Darlington 392 162 
			 Northumberland 202 206 
			 Tyne and Wear 867 20 
			  Source:  Annual Returns to DCLG

Fires: Insurance

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has made a recent estimate of the effect on insurance costs consequent of a fire of the time taken by firefighters to reach the scene of that fire.

Bob Neill: Estimates for the relationship between response times and property losses have been made, and these are available in the report, "Review of Fire and Rescue Service Response Times" available on the DCLG website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/frsresponsetimes

Fires: North East

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many deaths from fire were recorded in  (a) Cleveland,  (b) County Durham and Darlington,  (c) Northumberland and  (d) Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service area in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: The latest statistics for deaths from fire in  (a) Cleveland,  (b) County Durham and Darlington,  (c) Northumberland and  (d) Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service area are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Deaths recorded in FRS areas Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear 2005-06 to 2009-10( 1) 
			  FRS area  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 2)  2009-10( 1) 
			 Cleveland 3 4 3 2 5 
			 Durham 3 5 1 5 0 
			 Northumberland 3 5 3 5 1 
			 Tyne and Wear 7 5 8 7 4 
			 (1 )Provisional (2) Revised provisional  Source: Fire and Rescue Incident Statistics Databases, DCLG

Homelessness: Finance

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding he plans to allocate to the prevention of homelessness in each year of the spending review period.

Grant Shapps: We have protected homelessness grant funding, with £400 million over the next spending review period to support the most vulnerable and tackle homelessness. Preventing homelessness grant allocations to local housing authorities for 2011-12 will be announced alongside the provisional local government finance settlement in early December.

Housing Associations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the bidding system for prospective tenants operated by housing associations; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Research into the longer term impacts of choice based lettings (CBL) was carried out by Heriot Watt university for the Department for Communities and Local Government and the report of the findings, "Monitoring the longer term impacts of choice based letting", was published by the Department in October 2006. The research assessed the impacts of choice based lettings across a range of issues, including tenancy sustainment, community cohesion, tenant mobility, demand for social housing and cost-effectiveness, and the report included the following findings:
	in the context of multi-ethnic areas, choice based letting tends to reduce rather than compound ethnic segregation
	outcomes for homeless households are largely positive, eg under choice based lettings they are more likely to be housed in high demand areas
	choice based lettings generates improved tenancy sustainment
	choice based lettings encourages applicants to think more flexibly about their housing choices
	choice based lettings set-up costs can be off-set by housing management efficiencies.

Housing: Construction

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had on the effect of the New Homes Bonus Scheme on areas with high numbers of empty properties in  (a) Hyndburn constituency and  (b) elsewhere; and what steps he is taking to bring such empty properties into use.

Grant Shapps: On 12 November the Government launched a consultation on the New Homes Bonus which includes the option of including empty homes within the scheme. The consultation is available at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/newhomesbonusconsult
	This could provide local authorities with a powerful incentive to tackle empty homes as part of their overall approach to meeting housing need. There have been no discussions specifically in relation to Hyndburn but we would welcome views of all those with an interest in this consultation which ends on 24 December.
	In addition we will provide £100 million for housing associations and local authorities to bring over 3,000 empty homes back into use as affordable rented housing. This will enable local authorities to tackle the most difficult properties by providing renovation works and management support.
	We are also working with the Homes and Communities Agency and with "Empty Homes" (a leading charity) to help ensure that local authorities have the information and expertise they need to take enforcement action where necessary.

Housing: Construction

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) private,  (b) local authority and  (c) registered social landlords new build housing completions there were in (i) each year from 1990 to 2009 and (ii) in 2010 to the latest date for which figures are available.

Andrew Stunell: holding answer 25 November 2010
	 The latest annual figures showing how many new build housing completions there were in all calendar years, 1946 to 2009 are shown in live table 244 on the DCLG website. These split total house building completions by tenure, including completions by private owners, local authorities and housing associations. 'Registered social landlords' are now referred to as 'housing associations'.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1473507.xls
	More recent quarterly figures for new build completions (Q1, Q2 and Q3 in 2010) were published in live table 213 in November 2010. These quarterly figures are for England only.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1473517.xls

Housing: Empty Property

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many residential properties in  (a) Greater London and  (b) England owned by local authorities are empty.

Andrew Stunell: In 2009 there were 9,300 vacant dwellings in total owned by local authorities within Greater London. In the same year in England there were in total 34,600 vacant local authority dwellings.
	Figures on vacant local authority dwellings are available from the DCLG website, linked as follows. Table 611 shows numbers of local authority vacant dwellings by region, based on returns to DCLG. Figures for 2010 will be published on 30 November 2010.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/stockincludingvacants/livetables/

Local Government Finance

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward the announcement of the Local Government Grant Settlement in order to give local authorities more time to prepare their budgets for the 2011-12 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: We will announce our proposals for the local government finance settlement in the usual manner, giving local authorities sufficient time to set budgets, in due course.

Local Government: Regulation

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which statutory duties and requirements upon local authorities he plans to rescind.

Bob Neill: The Government are committed to reducing centrally imposed barriers and burdens on local authorities such as legislation, guidance and other forms of prescription. DCLG will work with the local government sector to identify and assess these with a view to removing those which are unnecessary.
	I also refer my hon. Friend to my answer on the regulatory burdens already removed which was given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood) on 24 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 304-05W.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of  (a) 6 September and  (b) 20 October 2010 on MK Electrical Devices and Systems.

Andrew Stunell: A reply was sent to my hon. Friend on 15 November 2010.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will provide for a simplified application form for renewal of homes in multiple occupation licences from spring 2011.

Grant Shapps: The Department for Communities and Local Government has no current plans to revise regulations to enable a simplified application form for homes in multiple occupation licence renewals. The current regulations prescribe the minimum content required for a licence application. Local Government Regulation are providing support to local authorities through the renewal process. However, more broadly, Ministers are happy to receive representations on the potential for reducing red tape and unnecessary form-filling.

National Park Authorities

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has assessed the merits of merging National Park Authorities' and local authority planning departments.

Bob Neill: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs issued a consultation on the Governance Arrangements for the National Parks and the Broads Authority on 9 November, the consultation concludes on 1 February 2011 and can be found at the following link:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/nationalpark-governance/index.htm
	In addition, Ministers believe there is a significant scope for different local authorities to share back office functions, including planning services.

Planning Permission: Appeals

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to introduce a third party right of appeal in the planning system.

Greg Clark: The Government's reforms to the planning system seek to avoid the need for appeals to the Planning Inspectorate by all parties.
	Planning permission should be secured by consistency with plans rather than by development control.
	The Localism Bill will confirm a new regime of neighbourhood planning to allow local residents' requirements to be set out in plans with which new developments will need to comply.

Public Houses

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support his Department provides to public houses.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government believes that community pubs are important local assets and they, along with other institutions such as village shops and community centres, play an important role in strengthening community relationships and encouraging wider social action. The Department is currently undertaking a range of actions to support the sector.
	As part of our determination to shift power to local neighbourhoods, we aim to ensure through the Localism Bill that community organisations have a fair chance to bid to take over assets and facilities that are important to them, including local pubs. As part of this, we are working with Co-operatives UK to pilot the use of community shares as a means to develop community finance. A number of community-owned pubs have already used community share issues to develop their business.
	The Department is currently considering proposals under the Sustainable Communities Act to prohibit the imposition of restrictive covenants on pubs when they are sold. We intend to make an announcement about this later in the year.
	We are also committed to helping firms with business rates: simplifying the process and making small business rate relief automatic; introducing a more generous small business rate relief scheme for a year from October; and considering proposals to give councils powers to levy discretionary business rate discounts-which could, for example, be used to support local pubs.
	Support for public houses remains a cross-Government issue and we will continue to work closely with colleagues across Whitehall to champion the place of local pubs as the social heartbeat of life in our towns and villages.
	The Government are also to ban the sale of alcohol below cost price, helping protect local pubs from unfair "loss leading" by some shops. Licensing rules will be reformed to make it easier to play live music in local pubs, and the Government have already scrapped the planned 10% rise in cider duties (the so-called cider tax).

Right to Acquire Scheme

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to increase the availability of access to sharia-compliant financing to facilitate right to acquire purchases from housing associations.

Andrew Stunell: We do not wish to preclude the use of sharia-compliant finance by social tenants who wish to buy their homes under the right to acquire scheme.
	However, the issues raised by such finance are complex and we have not yet found a way to both protect the rights of individuals and provide security for Government funds, under the terms of the right to acquire legislation which requires that ownership of a property passes direct from landlord to purchasing tenant.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on future levels of social housing rents; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: My Department has regular discussions at ministerial and official level with the Department for Work and Pensions. These meetings cover a broad range of topics including social housing.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2010,  Official Report, column 807W, on social rented housing: construction, when and in what form more detail on the implementation of new affordable rent tenure will be published.

Grant Shapps: We are planning to publish guidance early next year on the delivery of affordable housing, jointly with the Homes and Communities Agency.

Social Rented Housing: Standards

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in  (a) England,  (b) Hyndburn and  (c) Haslingden do not meet the Decent Homes standard.

Andrew Stunell: Comparable local and national statistics are available only for social housing. Landlord returns indicate that at 31 March 2010 there were 531 (10.8%) social sector non-decent homes in Hyndburn and 491 (10.7%) in Rossendale. Both these local authorities have transferred their stock. At the same time there were 410,000 (10.2%) social sector non-decent dwellings in England.

Youth Services: Expenditure

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of levels of expenditure per 1,000 people on youth services in each local authority in England in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Bob Neill: I have today placed in the Library of the House a table that gives, by each local authority in England, the net current expenditure per 1,000 people on youth education services for the financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10.

TRANSPORT

BRB (Residuary): Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assets BRB (Residuary) Ltd. holds in each local authority area in Wales; and what plans he has for the disposal of such assets.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 23 November 2010
	 Land owned freehold by BRB (Residuary) Ltd. is listed on the company's website at:
	www.brbr.co.uk/property/property_listings
	It is possible to select sites by county or unitary council area. In addition, the company holds most of the trackbed of the former railway from Crosskeys to Markham on lease.
	In total BRB (Residuary) owns 389 bridges, tunnels and other structures in Wales, details of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	BRB (Residuary) is under instruction to continue its strategy to dispose of assets that have no further transport use in accordance with the guidance issued by the Department for Transport (see link).
	http://www.brbr.co.uk/land_disposal

Departmental Contracts

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the monetary value is of contracts his Department has awarded to each  (a) management consultancy and  (b) IT company since 7 May 2010.

Norman Baker: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Contract award values- m anagement consultants-7 May to 30 September 2010 
			   Supplier  Award value (£)  Organisation 
			 1 AECOM 130,000 DfT(c)-Rail vfm(1) 
			 2 Amtec 99,000 DfT(c)-Rail vfm 
			 3 Atkins 290,000 DfT(c)-Rail vfm 
			 4 Booz & Co 59,600 DfT(c)-Rail vfm 
			 5 Capita 64,500 DfT(c)-Rail vfm 
			 6 Civity 113,000 DfT(c)-Rail vfm 
			 7 DTZ 50,800 DfT(c)-Rail vfm 
			 8 Marsh Ltd 50,000 HA 
			 9 Mott Macdonald Ltd 43,000 DfT(c)-Rail vfm 
			 10 Oxera 128,400 DfT(c)-Rail vfm 
			 11 SDG/Investors in Excellence 90,000 DfT(c)-Rail vfm 
			  Total 1,118,300  
			 (1 )Sir Roy McNulty's Rail Value for Money (vfm) review was established by the Secretary of State in December 2009 as an independent study to look at the cost structure of all elements of the railway sector and to identify options for improving value for money for passengers and the taxpayer. Consultants have been appointed because the use of consultants ensures a level of independence that cannot be achieved and certainly not demonstrated using in-house resources alone. In addition, the work has called for skill sets and knowledge beyond those available within the sponsoring organisations. 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Contract award values-IT suppliers-7 May to 30 September 2010 
			   Supplier  Award value (£)  Organisation 
			 1 Amtec Consulting Plc 500,000 MCA 
			 2 ANS Group 25,144 VCA 
			 3 Arquiva 1,700 MCA 
			 4 Banctec 360,000 DVLA 
			 5 Cable & Wireless 49,000 DfT(c) 
			 6 Computacenter 89,500 MCA/DfT(c) 
			 7 Diagonal Consulting 5,700 MCA 
			 8 EMC Computer Systems (UK) Ltd 1,197,126 DVLA 
			 9 Engineering Ingeneria Informatica 502,900 MCA 
			 10 Epic Group PLC 16,795 HA 
			 11 Equanet 18,700 MCA 
			 12 ESRI (UK) Ltd 9,400 MCA 
			 13 Frontrange Ltd 15,893 DfT(c) 
			 14 HIS Fairplay 6,500 MCA 
			 15 IBM UK Ltd 19,300 MCA 
			 16 Insight Ltd 153,233 MCA/DfT(c) 
			 17 Microsoft Ltd 53,300 DfT(c) 
			 18 Oracle 64,800 MCA 
			 19 PC Maritime 1,400 MCA 
			 20 Phoenix Software Ltd 5,805 DfT(c) 
			 21 PRGX 91,276 DfT(c) 
			 22 QAS Experian Ltd 7,000 MCA 
			 23 Q-Max Systems Ltd 8,825 DVLA 
			 24 Scanoptics 418,106 DVLA 
			 25 SFW Ltd 52,870 VCA 
			 26 SoftBox Ltd 81,486 MCA/DfT(c) 
			 27 Telewest Business 45,000. DfT(c) 
			 28 The Corporate IT Forum 85,000 DfT(c) 
			 29 Vamosa Ltd 10,000 DfT(c) 
			 30 Vega Consulting 9,279 DfT(c) 
			  Total 3,905,038  
			  Key:  DFT(c)-Department for Transport (Centre) DVLA-Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency HA-Highways Agency MCA-Maritime and Coastguard Agency VCA-Vehicle Certification Agency

Departmental Lobbying

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent from the public purse on influencing public policy through  (a) employing external (i) public affairs companies, (ii) strategic consultancies and (iii) corporate communications firms,  (b) external marketing and  (c) other activities in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  which of his Department's non-departmental public bodies have undertaken activities to influence public policy for which they engaged  (a) public affairs and  (b) public relations consultants in each year since 1997; and at what monetary cost in each such year.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002 and information is provided from that date or the date an agency/non-departmental public body was formed, if later.
	None of the seven executive agencies of the Department has spent any money from the public purse on influencing public policy through  (a) employing external (i) public affairs companies, (ii) strategic consultancies and (iii) corporate communications firms,  (b) external marketing and  (c) other activities.
	The following non-departmental public bodies have not undertaken activities to influence public policy for which they engaged  (a) public affairs and  (b) public relations consultants nor spent money from the public purse on influencing public policy through  (a) employing external (i) public affairs companies, (ii) strategic consultancies and (iii) corporate communications firms,  (b) external marketing and  (c) other activities:
	Cycling England
	Northern Lighthouse Board
	Trinity House Lighthouse Service
	Renewable Fuels Agency
	Directly Operated Railways
	Railway Heritage Committee
	British Transport Police Authority
	Passenger Focus spent £10,662 in 2005-06 and £6,021 in 2006-07 on activities to influence public policy for which they engaged public affairs consultants on advice and support on parliamentary affairs, but no specific activities or lobbying were undertaken. They also spent £18,674 in 2008-09 on employing external public affairs companies for support organising fringe events at party conferences.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network.

Norman Baker: The Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA) already has a large contract with Post Office Ltd (POL). This includes the long established motor vehicle taxation services and driver licensing services.
	DVLA with the central Department, has additionally recently been engaged alongside other Government Departments in the Cabinet Office sponsored meetings to review the potential for POL to provide wider counter services across Government.

Freight Facilities Grant

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the operation of the Freight Facilities Grant.

Michael Penning: No recent discussions have taken place with the Scottish Government on the operation of the Freight Facilities Grant.

Freight Facilities Grant

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for the Freight Facilities Grant.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport's capital budget (from which Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) is funded) was discussed with the Chancellor and Chief Secretary in the recent spending review.
	Following the spending review settlement, we are currently considering what budgets will be available across a number of the Department's smaller programmes (including FFG).

Invalid Vehicles

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) fatalities,  (b) serious injuries and  (c) minor injuries sustained by (i) users of mobility scooters and (ii) people hit by mobility scooters in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: I have discussed this matter with my colleague, the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) and with officials as part of a wider consideration of the topic of mobility scooters.
	Road casualty statistics do not currently include mobility scooters as a separate vehicle category, so we have no central data on the number of these vehicles involved in accidents although we are aware of specific incidents.
	We are also aware that the number of mobility vehicles is on the increase. In 2010, the Department for Transport initiated a survey to help assess the number of mobility scooter users and the extent to which their use may have injured people. I will be considering its conclusions as part of an overall review of the laws governing the use of mobility vehicles. The results of the survey can be viewed on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/162469/221412/221513/mobilityscoooters/attitudestowardsmobilityscooters1.pdf

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of  (a) 12 October and  (b) 10 November 2010 on a constituent, Mr Lilly.

Michael Penning: A response to the letter of 12 October 2010 was despatched on 18 November 2010. The Department for Transport has no record of the letter of 10 November 2010.

Public Transport: Disability

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to improve access to public transport for  (a) blind people and  (b) people with other disabilities in (i) the West Midlands, (ii) Wolverhampton South West constituency and (iii) nationally.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is committed to improving access to transport for all disabled people.
	By way of improvements to physical accessibility, national deadlines ranging between 2015 and 2020 are in place for public transport vehicles to meet modern accessibility standards. In addition, I am currently considering plans for implementation of provisions in the Equality Act 2010 which aim to ensure better levels of wheelchair access to taxis both in terms of availability and assistance. I will be making an announcement in due course.
	In the recent spending review, the Government also confirmed their commitment to continue to protect concessionary travel, from which many disabled people benefit.
	By 2015, nine rail stations in the West Midlands will receive an accessible, step-free route as part of the Access for All programme. A further 90 stations have been offered funding for a variety of smaller scale access improvements including the installation of tactile surfaces, lighting upgrades, public address systems, signage and automatic doors. In line with the Coalition's localism agenda, it will be for local partnerships-integrated transport authorities working with local authorities and communities to identify solutions for local improvements.

Railways: Freight

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for development of rail freight services  (a) in Stockton North constituency and  (b) in Teesside; and what his policy is on (i) freight capacity and (ii) rail freight safety in such development.

Theresa Villiers: The development of rail freight services is commercial matter for the private sector rail freight operators. The provision of freight capacity and rail freight safety are operational matters for Network Rail. Capacity allocation and rail safety is overseen by the independent Office of Rail Regulation.

Railways: Overcrowding

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the level of overcrowding on rail routes in Yorkshire.

Theresa Villiers: The Office for Rail Regulation (ORR) publishes statistics on passengers in excess of capacity in National Rail Trends (NRT). These figures were updated in July 2010 for London commuter services, and will be published for other regional centres when this information is available.
	More detailed crowding information on the requested services may be available directly from the operators at the following addresses:
	Northern Rail Ltd., Northern House, 9 Rougier Street, York, YO1 6HZ.
	Customer Relations, First TransPennine Express, Freepost, ADMAIL 3878, Manchester, M1 9YB.

Railways: Overcrowding

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methodology his Department uses to collate data on passenger overcrowding on the rail network in  (a) London,  (b) non-metropolitan urban areas and  (c) metropolitan areas.

Theresa Villiers: Statistics on train crowding are published by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in the National Rail Trends (NRT) Yearbook, which is available in the House Library, or from the ORR website:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk
	The NRT Yearbook contains 'passengers in excess of capacity' (PiXC) statistics showing overcrowding on London commuter services. Summary statistics on crowding levels into selected regional cities will be released at a later date.
	The PiXC crowding measure is derived from the number of passengers travelling in excess of capacity on all services.
	The main source of data used to derive the PiXC measure is obtained from the counts carried out in the autumn of each year. These are derived from a mix of manual and automatically generated passenger counts.

Road Safety Markings Association

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent meetings he has had with representatives of the Road Safety Markings Association; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: I met with representatives of the Road Safety Markings Association in my office on 14 October.

Roads: Safety

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's capital grant for road safety the proposed reduction of £17.2 million in the comprehensive spending review represents; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: As part of the coalition Government's commitment to decentralising power and financial autonomy to local government and communities, the Department for Transport (DfT) is radically simplifying its funding for 2011-12, moving from 26 different grant streams to just four. This has included discontinuing the dedicated capital grant for road safety.
	It is for local authorities to decide how to invest the funding support provided in the comprehensive spending review period. The planned Department for Transport funding to support local authorities' capital investments for the period is summarised in the following table. More details have been provided in an answer given to the hon. Member for Sheffield South East (Mr Betts) on 25 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 386-87W.
	
		
			  Total DfT c apital  f unding for local authorities (excluding TfL) 
			   £ million 
			 2011-12 1,554 
			 2012-13 1,503 
			 2013-14 1,465 
			 2014-15 1,664

Roads: Snow and Ice

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on the national road network of an increased frequency of abnormal weather conditions arising from climate change; and whether he has made an estimate of future resource requirements to ensure network resilience.

Norman Baker: The Highways Agency manages the strategic road network in England. They have used the latest scenarios from the UK Climate Projections and developed a climate change risk assessment methodology as part of a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. This will enable incorporation of climate change considerations into design standards and specifications, routine maintenance, operating procedures, and the development of contingency plans; ensuring that the Highways Agency continues to operate a dynamic and resilient network.
	In support of the Adaptation Strategy, the Highways Agency has developed an Adaptation Framework, designed to meet the needs of the network and to address the aims of the adaptation provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008.
	The management of local roads in England is a matter for local highway authorities. It is for each authority to assess how the maintenance of their roads should take account of climate change. The Department for Transport has, in conjunction with the UK Roads Board, published "Maintaining pavements in a changing climate". This includes guidance on maintenance practices which improve the resilience of roads to climate change.

Taxis: Fuels

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has carried out research on the opportunities for use of alternative fuels in taxis; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has not carried out research which looks specifically at the opportunities for use of alternative fuels in taxis. However, the Department has commissioned work to look at biofuel deployment options across transport modes, including in the road transport sector, which is due to report in the spring.

Tintwistle Hollingworth and Mottram Bypass

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he undertook a cost-benefit analysis of the construction of a Mottram and Tintwistle bypass prior to determining the schemes to be approved under the Investment in Highways and Local Transport programme.

Norman Baker: The Mottram and Tintwistle bypass scheme was removed from the roads programme by the previous administration in 2009. The Secretary of State's announcement to the House on 26 October and the associated document "Investment in Local Major Transport Schemes", relate only to projects in the current programme and projects submitted to the Department prior to the suspension announced in June 2010. The Mottram and Tintwistle bypass does not fall into either category and therefore was not considered in making the statement of 26 October.

Transport: Concessions

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what special grant funding for the national concessionary travel scheme he has allocated to each integrated transport authority for the purpose of its statutory duty to fund the national concessionary travel scheme in each of the last three years.

Norman Baker: Currently, the bulk of concessionary travel funding that Integrated Transport Authorities (ITAs) receive is provided through levies from the relevant local authorities-who receive funding via Formula Grant from Communities and Local Government. The remainder of funding is provided through special grant from the Department for Transport.
	ITAs received the following special grant payments from Department for Transport in the last three years:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11  Total last three years 
			 Greater Manchester ITA 10.5 10.8 11.1 32.4 
			 Merseyside ITA 6.5 6.7 8.0 21.2 
			 South Yorkshire ITA 5.1 5.3 5.4 15.8 
			 Tyne And Wear ITA 5.4 5.5 5.7 16.5 
			 West Midlands ITA 12.4 12.6 13.0 38.0 
			 West Yorkshire ITA 8.7 8.9 9.1 26.7 
			 Total for all ITAs 48.6 49.7 52.3 -

Transport: Local Enterprise Partnerships

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to delegate responsibility for regional transport strategy to local enterprise partnerships.

Norman Baker: Local Enterprise Partnerships will be free to bring forward their own transport strategies if they so wish.

JUSTICE

Community Orders: Finance

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effects of the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review on the future viability of  (a) sex offender treatment programmes,  (b) thinking skills programmes,  (c) unpaid work orders,  (d) supervision orders,  (e) domestic violence interventions and  (f) other sentencing options for lower tier offenders in the community.

Crispin Blunt: Internal resource allocations for the spending review 2010 period have not yet been decided, but we have made it clear that we expect savings to be achieved in large part through improvements in efficiency and by streamlining administration. We will publish a Green Paper before the end of the year, setting out our plans to reform sentencing options and rehabilitate offenders more effectively, which we expect will have a positive impact on the viability of all the disposals and programmes available.

Coroners

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what guidance he plans to issue to local authorities on enforcement of new legislative provision in respect of coroners;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost to local authorities of managing the Coroners' Service in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner law and policy only. The financial costs of the coronial service fall to the individual relevant authorities.
	We aim to issue improved guidance on important procedures such as the conduct of post-mortem examinations, while supporting the local management and delivery of the service. We will continue to work collaboratively with coroners, their staff, local government, police authorities and the senior judiciary to deliver service improvements.

Coroners

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he plans to take to provide additional assistance to those coroners who report a lack of adequate facilities in 2010-11; and when he plans to bring into force those provisions in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 which relate to such facilities.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner law and policy, but no operational role in the service delivered by coroners. Local authorities (and, in some districts, police authorities) are responsible for funding and staffing the coroner service.
	My officials will continue to work with local and police authorities, and the Coroners' Society to ensure that coroners have access to appropriate facilities to hold inquests as part of their investigations into sudden and unexpected death.
	In my statement of 14 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 37-38WS, I set out our proposals for taking forward coronial reform. We are reviewing what provisions within the 2009 Act we may commence, and this will include provisions which relate to staff and accommodation.

Dog Fouling

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many individuals were prosecuted for the offence of dog fouling in each local authority area in England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many individuals were given a fixed penalty fine for the offence of dog fouling in each local authority area in England in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts in England for offences under section 3 of the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996, from 2005 to 2009 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
	Figures are presented for police force area in England as data held on the Ministry of Justice's Court Proceedings Database are not available at local authority area level.
	The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) advise that records on fixed penalty fines for the offence of dog fouling are not held centrally and would need to be obtained from each separate local authority.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication in spring 2011.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under section 3 of the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996, by police force area, England, 2005 - 09( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Police force area  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Avon and Somerset 11 11 5 7 5 
			 Bedfordshire 2 - - - - 
			 Cambridgeshire - - 3 1 1 
			 Cheshire 5 1 3 2 1 
			 Cleveland 25 18 43 29 53 
			 Cumbria 13 17 12 9 12 
			 Derbyshire 13 14 11 9 6 
			 Devon and Cornwall - 3 7 8 7 
			 Dorset - 4 2 1 4 
			 Durham - - 3 16 38 
			 Essex 12 2 1 4 4 
			 Gloucestershire 1 - 1 3 1 
			 Greater Manchester 132 92 59 19 26 
			 Hampshire 1 3 1 20 8 
			 Hertfordshire 1 1 2 - - 
			 Humberside - - 2 - 1 
			 Kent - - 1 16 24 
			 Lancashire 37 19 27 27 59 
			 Leicestershire 1 2 2 2 3 
			 Lincolnshire 9 6 3 3 4 
			 Merseyside 27 20 11 106 195 
			 Metropolitan Police 47 49 25 48 29 
			 Norfolk - 3 - - 1 
			 North Yorkshire 3 5 7 3 4 
			 Northamptonshire 5 2 1 6 6 
			 Northumbria 48 59 57 50 61 
			 Nottinghamshire 2 1 1 2 10 
			 South Yorkshire 18 17 23 13 4 
			 Staffordshire - - - 3 1 
			 Suffolk 3 - - - - 
			 Surrey - - 1 - 1 
			 Sussex - 1 1 2 15 
			 Thames Valley 2 - - 1 4 
			 Warwickshire 1 1 1 - 2 
			 West Mercia - 1 1 1 1 
			 West Midlands 2 10 2 4 8 
			 West Yorkshire 7 6 4 14 26 
			 Total 428 368 323 429 625 
			 (1 )The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Only those police force areas are shown where data have been reported.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Land Registry

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what terms of reference have been set for the feasibility study on the future of the Land Registry; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The feasibility study is tasked with identifying the opportunities for private sector involvement in HMLR.
	The project is expected to deliver a written study that will contain sufficient detail to enable Ministers to make a decision on the future direction of Land Registry in early 2011, so that any financial benefits may be realised within the 2010 spending review period.
	The completed study should fully articulate all of the potential benefits, costs, risks, issues and legislative requirements that may follow from the options for private sector involvement. The work will identify the steps required and time frames for the execution of the necessary transition for each of the future business model options explored and any alignment or conflict with wider government initiatives.

Legal Aid Scheme

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many organisations in each constituency have legal aid contracts  (a) in total,  (b) for criminal work only,  (c) for civil work only and  (d) for criminal and civil work.

Jonathan Djanogly: I understand that the Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not hold this information in the format requested.
	The LSC has contracts with 1,750 solicitors firms for criminal legal aid work in England and Wales. Some of these firms provide services in a number of different locations. I have placed in the Library a table showing the number of criminal legal aid providers in each local authority area in England and Wales.
	It is not possible to answer this question in full in respect of civil legal aid contracts at this time. Following the tender process undertaken earlier in the year, the LSC has awarded contracts for all civil categories of law except Family (and Family with Housing) that came into effect on 15 November 2010. The LSC is currently finalising the contract documentation, after which time the final number of organisations delivering services under these contracts will be available by procurement area and access point. It is currently estimated that there will be in the region of a thousand contracts in total for non-family civil legal aid, some of which will be with organisations with multiple locations and/or for multiple categories of law. I will write to you once the final information is available.
	Tenders for Family and Family with Housing services were set aside following judicial review proceedings by the Law Society. At the end of financial year 2009-10, there were 2,434 offices with family legal aid contracts and numbers of family providers will be broadly consistent with this as family providers continue to operate under the Unified Contract (Civil) which was introduced on 1 April 2007 and has been extended until 30 November 2011.

Legal Aid Scheme

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the (i) financial and (ii) social effects of withdrawing the availability of legal aid for cases relating to education provision.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Department did not commission research, or carry out a formal evaluation of research. Although an impact assessment was published with the consultation paper on 15 November and can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/legal-aid-reform-151110.htm

Legal Aid Scheme

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the effects of the implementation of his proposals for the future of  (a) legal aid and  (b) conditional fee agreements on the cost to the public purse of very high cost cases in the spending review period.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice published initial Impact Assessments and Equality Impact Assessments alongside the consultation papers "Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales" and "Proposals for Reform of Civil Litigation Funding and Costs: Implementation of Lord Justice Jackson's Recommendations" which were published on 15 November 2010, available at:
	www.justice.gov.uk
	The proposals on which we are consulting, which cover every aspect of legal aid, including scope, eligibility, remuneration and very high cost cases, will radically reform the system. They will aim to tackle the spread of expensive and unnecessary litigation into everyday society at taxpayers' expense. The Government accept Lord Justice Jackson's assessment that the costs of civil litigation are too high and that the current arrangements impact disproportionately on defendants.
	Final impact assessments will be published alongside the Government response to both consultations next spring.

Legal Aid Scheme: Contracts

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much money from the public purse the Learning and Skills Council has spent on legal costs in respect of tendering contracts for legal aid since May 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has operational responsibility for tendering contracts for legal aid.
	The LSC has an in-house legal team and it also instructs counsel where necessary on particular cases. The LSC in-house lawyers do not have a computerised time recording system and where no claim for costs is to be made by the LSC, a breakdown of the time spent by the in-house legal team has not been prepared. In addition, the LSC has not yet paid for all of the work done by counsel and so therefore does not currently hold the information requested.

Legal Aid Scheme: North West

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) asylum and  (b) non-asylum matter starts were allocated to each provider in each access area in the North West procurement area for the 2010 contract for such matter starts.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is currently finalising the contract documentation after which time the final numbers of organisations delivering services under the 2010 Standard Civil Contract, and the volume of work they will be delivering, will be available.
	I will write to the hon. Member when the information has been published on the LSC website.

National Offender Management Service: Secondment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff were on secondment to the National Offender Management Service on the latest date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: There is no reliable information centrally available on the number of staff on secondment into the National Offender Management Service. To obtain the information would entail contacting a large number of individual units, which would entail disproportionate cost.

Office of the Public Guardian: Lost Property

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2010,  Official Report, column 357W, on the Office of the Public Guardian, what estimate he has made of the  (a) frequency and  (b) cost to the public purse of the loss of documents by the Office of the Public Guardian in the last 12 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: As per my answer on 27 October 2010,  Official Report, column 357W, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is not able to collate statistics in respect of numbers of lost original documents without reference to individual cases. Thus, estimates as to frequency would be no more than speculative.
	As with any process reliant on the submission of paper material, the loss of original documents will, unfortunately, occur on occasion. The OPG takes information security very seriously and focuses consistently on minimising the potential risk.
	However where original documents are lost, the cost to be borne is minimal. The OPG scans all applications on receipt and therefore where an original copy is misplaced, an office copy of the instrument can be provided. Where the original is subsequently identified, measures are in place to ensure it is then forwarded to the applicant. Office copies are afforded the same weight in law as the original. Costs are therefore limited to the resource to produce and issue any replacement material.

Prisoners

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has plans to ensure that prisoners in working prisons are  (a) placed close to their families and  (b) offered skills training relating to industries that are prevalent in that area; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The Government have made clear their intention to make prisons places of hard work and discipline. We will be publishing our proposals for consultation in the forthcoming Sentencing and Rehabilitation Green Paper. As we develop our proposals we will need to consider how best to achieve the working prison within the confines of the prison estate and how best to work with the private and voluntary sectors to provide work and training opportunities for prisoners.

Prisoners' Release

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing housing stock to accommodate the release of 3,000 prisoners as part of his Department's structural reform plan; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to his Department's structural reform plan for the reintroduction of prisoners into the community, how such reintroduction will be supervised; and by what mechanism it will contribute to a reduction in reoffending rates.

Crispin Blunt: No measures will be introduced to release existing prisoners early. The Government will publish a Green Paper in December setting out proposals for more effective sentencing policies and rehabilitation including action on drugs, alcohol, mental health employment and housing. We expect the prison population to fall by around 3,000 from the current level as a result of these policies. We will consider the provision of departmental resources in the light of consultation responses to our proposals.

Prisoners: Voting Rights

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2010,  Official Report, column 165, if he will publish each item of correspondence between him and Scottish Ministers on prisoners' voting rights.

Kenneth Clarke: I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Probation

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the future of the Accredited Programmes Panel for programmes run by the Probation Service.

Crispin Blunt: The Correctional Services Accreditation Panel (CSAP) is a non-statutory body that sits within the Justice Policy Group. Its main role is to accredit programmes that have been designed for offenders both in prisons and the community.
	There are currently no plans to change the remit of CSAP or the way in which programmes are accredited. However, we will be keeping this area of work under review in light of the Green Paper due to be published this autumn.

Probation

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people who were given a determinate sentence in each year since 2005 did not take part in offender programmes while in prison.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service delivers a broad range of interventions to address the particular risks and needs of offenders. Information on all the activities undertaken by individual prisoners is not centrally collated and details on those who did not take part in offender programmes could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by analysing offender files and local data systems, validating the information and collating in a common format. Whether a prisoner needs to participate in a particular programme will depend on assessment locally.

Probation

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has made a recent assessment of the merits of appointing a Director of Probation for England and Wales.

Crispin Blunt: As probation trusts are independent, arm's length bodies, operating under contract with the Secretary of State, a Director of Probation could not perform the same functions as under the earlier, centralised arrangements.
	However, we recognise that probation trusts need a consistent point of reference and representation within the National Offender Management Service. The new structure we are putting in place from April 2011 will include a Director of Probation and Contracted Services, who will be responsible not only for holding trusts to account against their contracts, but also for ensuring they have the support they need to be effective public sector providers.

Reoffenders

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reduce reoffending rates among  (a) Tier 1 and  (b) Tier 2 offenders; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: All offenders on community orders are managed according to their assessed risks and offending related needs in order to reduce their likelihood of reoffending. Individual sentence plans are drawn up for each offender to focus on objectives to reduce their risk of reoffending and causing harm.
	The forthcoming Green Paper will include details of the Government's plans to reform sentencing and introduce new measures to rehabilitate offenders.

Roads: Accidents

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals were prosecuted for failing to report injuries to or killing a dog in a road traffic incident in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to fail to stop, or report within 24 hours, an accident where personal injury or damage is caused. Data held centrally on the Ministry of Justice's Court Proceedings database do not include the circumstances of each case other than those specified in the statute and it is not possible to identify details of these offences which include injuries or death to a dog.

Squatting

David Rutley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to assist property owners to remove squatters occupying their property; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 3 November 2010,  Official Report, column 835W, to the hon. Member for Tamworth (Christopher Pincher).
	We are reviewing with other Government Departments whether the law in relation to squatting and the way it is enforced, should be strengthened, but we have yet to reach a conclusion.

Victim Support Schemes

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to establish procedures to support victims of white collar crime.

Crispin Blunt: The Government take white collar crime as seriously as other crime. Those victims can access support both inside and outside court. In addition, the creation of a new Economic Crime Agency, as outlined in the coalition agreement, will be a significant step forward in helping to better tackle economic crime.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people have been  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted of offences relating to the sale of alcohol to a person aged under 18 years in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people have been  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted for the offence of being drunk and disorderly in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many people have been  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted of offences related to purchasing alcohol on behalf of a person aged under 18 years in each of the last five years;
	(4)  how many people have been  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted for the sale of alcohol to a drunk person under section 141 of the Licensing Act 2003 in each year since the implementation of that Act.

James Brokenshire: Data showing the number of cautions, prosecutions and convictions for various alcohol offences from 2005-09 are provided in the table which will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Data for the offence of sale of alcohol to a drunk person are available from 2004, there was one caution for the offence during this year.

Asylum: Deportation

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of deporting unsuccessful asylum seekers in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency (UKBA) seek to remove all those with no legal basis to be in the UK, this includes foreign national prisoners, illegal immigrants and failed asylum seekers.
	It is not possible to provide a comprehensive figure for the actual cost of removals and deportations of failed asylum seekers because there is no specific budget dedicated solely to their removal.
	We are unable to disaggregate the specific costs and any attempt to do so would incur disproportionate cost.
	However the cost of public expense removals (PERs) paid by the UK Border Agency has been as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 20.2 
			 2007-08 22.3 
			 2008-09 27.0 
			 2009-10 27.5 
		
	
	These costs include the cost of tickets for both returnees and escorts, but not the actual escorting costs. PERs include individuals who are not failed asylum seekers, such as foreign national prisoners and illegal immigrants. Some failed asylum seekers are removed at carriers' expense so their costs are not included in the figures above.
	In addition to the costs above the removal of a failed asylum seeker may involve costs related to caseworking and detention which will vary from case to case.
	In addition to enforced removals UKBA also operate various voluntary removal schemes, where failed asylum seekers and illegal migrants are encouraged to return voluntarily to their country of origin. Expenditure on these schemes was as follows during the period in question:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 12.4 
			 2007-08 9.7 
			 2008-09 10.0 
			 2009-10 16.0

Asylum: Iraq

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers from Iraq were admitted to the UK in 2008-09; and whether she has made an estimate of the number of those admitted who were Christians.

Damian Green: The figures in the table are for asylum applications and initial decisions on asylum applications made at port and in country. These data exclude all subsequent decisions. Asylum applications are given by year of application; asylum initial decisions are given by year of decision, as initial decisions by year of application are not available. Totals are given by financial year 2008-09.
	Information on the number of asylum seekers who were Christians is not available. This could be obtained only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly in the Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom bulletins which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Asylum applications( 1)  received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, and initial decisions( 2)  on applications, 2008-09 financial year totals, nationals of Iraq 
			  Principal applicants 
			   Financial year 2008-09( 3) 
			  Applications  
			 Total 1,505 
			 Port 80 
			 In country 1,430 
			 Total decisions 1,475 
			   
			  Decisions  
			 Grants of asylum 160 
			 Grants of humanitarian protection 10 
			 Grants of discretionary leave 235 
			 Total refusals 1,075 
			 (1 )Figures rounded to the nearest 5 and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2 )Information is of initial decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions. (3 )Provisional figures.

Crime: Databases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 114-15W, on crime: databases, in how many cases in each category of crime there was  (a) a match and  (b) no match on the National DNA Database.

James Brokenshire: As at 12 November 2010, there were 369,253 crime scene sample profiles on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) submitted by police forces in England and Wales, of which an estimated 221,401 had been matched to subject sample profiles and an estimated 147,852 had not. The offence types recorded against these crime scene sample profiles are shown in the following table.
	Since April 2002, records have been captured on the NDNAD Match Reporting Management Information Database (MID) on matches between crime scene sample profiles and subject sample profiles. The figures provided are estimates, as it is possible that some crime scene profiles were matched before 2002 and therefore not captured on the MID. The number of unmatched crime scene profiles may therefore be lower than indicated. In cases where a crime scene sample profile on the NDNAD has not matched to a subject sample profile, the crime may nevertheless have been detected through other evidence.
	The data provided are management information and have not been formally assessed for compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
	
		
			  Offence type  Unmatched  Matched 
			 Abduction and Kidnapping 359 540 
			 Aggravated Burglary 1,238 1,640 
			 Alcohol Technical Defences 3 5 
			 Arson/Fire 1,102 1,305 
			 Attempted Murder 554 744 
			 Auto-Crime 4,308 5,725 
			 Blackmail 56 54 
			 Break in Offences 497 357 
			 Burglary in a Dwelling 34,217 47,265 
			 Criminal Damage 9,049 20,403 
			 Customs and Excise 2 2 
			 Documents 0 4 
			 Driving After Consuming Drugs 1 13 
			 Drugs 5 0 
			 Drugs Services-Other 304 974 
			 Expert Evidence 0 1 
			 Explosives 20 14 
			 Firearms 0 28 
			 Fraud 0 6 
			 GBH Assault 14 18 
			 High Value Fraud/Forgery 33 50 
			 Import Drugs (Customs and Excise) 3 2 
			 Import/Export Controlled Drugs 28 41 
			 Less Serious Assault 1,901 4,780 
			 Low Value Fraud/Forgery 332 642 
			 Murder/Manslaughter 2,088 1,931 
			 Other Burglary 27,469 42,253 
			 Other Serious 1,855 1,432 
			 Other Sexual Offences 779 986 
			 Other Specialist Services 3 6 
			 Other Suspicious Death 129 119 
			 Other Vehicle Crime 3,214 6,428 
			 Other Volume Crime 3,256 4,949 
			 Possession of Controlled Drugs 209 953 
			 Possession of Firearms 181 361 
			 Production of Controlled Drugs 696 1,842 
			 Public Order 77 250 
			 Rape 2,441 3,460 
			 Robbery 7 15 
			 Robbery Serious 2,666 3,228 
			 Robbery Volume 3,796 4,886 
			 Road Traffic Accident-Alcohol 5 37 
			 Sexual Offences 16 27 
			 Supply of Controlled Drugs 926 3,131 
			 Suspicious Death/Abortion 0 3 
			 Terrorism 33 13 
			 Theft 52 43 
			 Theft From a Vehicle 6,931 13,012 
			 Theft inc Handling Stolen Goods 2,975 7,519 
			 Theft of a Vehicle 31,045 33,492 
			 Threat to Kill/Malicious Communication 0 2 
			 Traffic 0 10 
			 Traffic Offences Fatal 67 121 
			 Traffic Offences Non-fatal 1,227 3,107 
			 Unclassified/ Unknown 76 16 
			 Using/Trading in/Shortening/Converting Firearms 404 659 
			 Wounding/GBH 1,203 2,497 
			 Total 147,852 221,401

Crime: Hate

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what objectives her Department has set for its policy on hate groups operating in the UK.

James Brokenshire: The Coalition programme for government outlines our objectives to deny public funds to any group that has recently espoused or incited violence or hatred; and to improve the recording of hate crime offences.
	The Home Secretary also has the power to exclude (i.e. ban) an individual from coming to the United Kingdom where she considers that the individual's presence here would not be conducive to the public good. This may include those who display unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred.
	We are currently consulting the police on how hate crime information can best be collected. This commitment has been included in the Home Office's Business Plan. It is intended that the police will begin the collection of this data from April 2011. As with a whole raft of Government and police data, we will make information available in a transparent and accessible format.
	The coalition agreement also includes the aim to restore rights to non-violent protest. We will review the law to ensure that the police continue to have the powers they need to protect local communities from intimidation and threatening behaviour and to deal with individuals and groups that espouse or incite violence.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government is leading further work across Government to tackle non-violent extremism as part of our aim of promoting wider community integration.
	We have announced a review of the Prevent strategy, aimed at tackling violent extremism and terrorism, with the objective of ensuring that it is more effective and properly focused. The review will consider whether the Prevent strategy should be expanded to include other forms of violent extremism. A revised strategy is due to be published in the new year.

Cybercrime: Human Rights

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to protect human rights groups operating within the UK from cyber-attack by foreign states.

Nick Herbert: Information and advice on cyber security threats and cyber security protective security measures is publicly available on the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) website. This information is aimed at the businesses and organisations which comprise the UK's national infrastructure but is also useful for any organisation seeking to protect itself against threats of this nature. Alerts to the public, small businesses and other organisations, including charities and lobby groups, are available through the getsafeonline.org website which also offers comprehensive advice and guidance on internet security.

Departmental Food

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has guidelines on ensuring that food used for her Department's official functions is of domestic origin.

Nick Herbert: The Home Department complies with the cross government procurement guidelines published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Home Department's facilities management provider Ecovert has reported that currently 81% of food purchases for the staff restaurant and hospitality events are farm assured produce.

Deportation: Iran

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the forced deportation of Child M and his family to Iran; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: holding answer 25 November 2010
	Information contained in individual records held by the UK Border Agency is treated as being confidential and is not normally disclosed to third parties. This is, of course, unless they are authorised representatives of the individual concerned. The UK Border Agency has no record that the family has authorised the hon. Member to act on their behalf. This is not a question of secrecy for its own sake but simply a matter of protecting the privacy of the individual.
	As he may be aware, Child M and his family are already represented by their constituency MP, my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman). I have already responded to him about this case in full.

Detainees: Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what progress has been made in ending the practice of child detention through  (a) pilot schemes to find alternatives to child detention and  (b) recent representations made to her on alternatives to child detention;
	(2)  when she expects the use of child detention centres to cease.

Damian Green: The Government are committed to ending the detention of children for immigration purposes. A review is currently under way to consider how this can be done in a way which protects the welfare of children while ensuring the departure of families who have no right to be in the UK. We need to be sure that any new process works in practice so we are testing out a range of new approaches aimed at keeping families with children in the community. We have also been working closely with a range of interested parties in the voluntary and statutory sectors who have experience and expertise in this area.
	In the meantime, detention is being used only as a last resort after families have exhausted their appeal rights, refused an offer of assisted return and failed to comply with arrangements put in place by the UK Border Agency for their departure. The number of families detained in immigration removal centres has reduced significantly during the course of the review, and it is no longer the case that families are detained for long periods of time.

Detainees: Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average amount of time a child spent in an immigration removal centre in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Rather than calculate the average statistic for time spent in detention, the Home Office presents the data as ranges because this is a more informative overview and is not subject to distortions by a small number of cases with large values.
	The latest published statistics show that as at 30 September 2010 there were five children, detained solely under Immigration Act powers, in UK Border Agency removal centres and short-term holding facilities. All five had been detained for seven days or less. This figure is rounded to the nearest five and is of people recorded as being under 18 on 30 September 2010. These figures will overstate if any applicants aged 18 or over claim to be younger.
	Information on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers are available in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom, July-September 2010 on the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	The Government have been clear in their commitment to end the detention of children. We therefore continue to work with our corporate partners to find an alternative that protects the welfare of children, without undermining our immigration laws.

Entry Clearances

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will establish a pilot scheme to enable sponsors of visitors to the UK on short-term visas to post a security bond; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The main requirements for entry to the UK as a general visitor are to satisfy the Border Force officer that they intend to stay for a limited period and leave the UK at the end of their stay, that they do not intend to work or study and that they can support and accommodate themselves and any dependants from funds available to them and without recourse to public funds.
	For family visitors, the UK Border Agency check that they generally intend to visit their sponsor in the UK, and that if necessary the sponsor will be able to maintain and accommodate them. We have no plans to go beyond this with further formal requirements such as a security bond.

Entry Clearances: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants for indefinite leave to remain in the UK had their last known address in  (a) the borough of Bexley and  (b) Greater London in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many such applicants were successful.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is unable to provide definitive data on the applicants address at the time of application. The information provided is therefore based on the applicants last known address.
	The latest period for which figures are available is for applications made between 1 May 2009 and 30 April 2010.
	The number of applicants for indefinite leave to remain in the UK that had their last known address in the borough of Bexley was 584.
	The number of such applications that were granted was 451.
	The number of applicants for indefinite leave to remain in the UK that had their last known address in Greater London was 46,245.
	The number of such applications that were granted was 38,188.
	This is internal management information and is subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Football: South Africa

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on attendance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office accounting system does not identify separately expenditure on attendance at the World Cup. However, the Home Office did not send any observers to the World Cup.

Immigration

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to allow students from Commonwealth countries to remain in the UK after they graduate.

Damian Green: As the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) announced in her statement to Parliament of 23 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 169-86, the Government will shortly launch a public consultation on proposed changes to the student visa arrangements. The consultation will seek views on the future of the Tier 1 Post Study Work category, the current scheme that allows international students who have achieved certain qualifications to stay in the UK and work for up to two years after they have completed their studies.

Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps she has taken to ensure that the proposed changes to section 60 powers in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A comply with  (a) race relations and equality legislation and  (b) Articles 8 (right to privacy) and 14 (non-discrimination) of the Human Rights Act 1998;
	(2)  what proposals she is considering to improve the safeguards in respect of section 60 powers under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Nick Herbert: Powers under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 contain important safeguards to prevent their misuse. All authorisations are intelligence based and approved by a police officer of at least inspector rank. The power is only used in a 'locality' within a police area, and only for 24 hours (with the option to extend this to 48 hours if authorised by a superintendent).
	However previous guidance did not place any restrictions on its use within the locality of an authorisation. The code now includes new requirements to ensure that officers do not stop and search individuals unconnected with the purpose of a section 60 authorisation. Furthermore, following a period of statutory consultation, we have amended the guidance so that it now clearly states that when selecting persons or vehicles to be stopped officers must take care not to discriminate unlawfully against anyone on the grounds of any of the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010. In addition to this we are currently examining the guidance and safeguards around section 60 in light of the judgment in Gillan and Quinton  v. the United Kingdom to see if any further work is appropriate.

Police Community Support Officers

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department plans to provide for police community support officers in each of the next three years.

Nick Herbert: Police community support officers (PCSOs) make an important contribution to neighbourhood policing and the visible and available policing in communities the public wish to see. The spending review set out the overall settlement for policing. There will be an announcement to Parliament in early December setting out the details of allocations of grant to all forces, including any specific grant.

Police: Cybercrime

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests the Police Central e-Crime Unit made in the course of investigations into cyber attacks on Government Departments in the last 12 months.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 25 November 2010
	The Police Central e-crime Unit has made a significant number of arrests over the past 12 months, and has been very successful in tackling organised crime groups targeting the UK through the internet. Such criminals will attack multiple targets, including Government, and it is not possible to identify separately those arrested for attack on Government Departments.

Police: Disciplinary Proceedings

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of  (a) police community support officers and  (b) police officers in (i) the Metropolitan Police Service and (ii) Cambridgeshire constabulary have been subject to disciplinary proceedings in each of the last three years.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 25 November 2010
	The Home Office does not collect the information requested.

Police: Manpower

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 724-26W, on police: manpower, what estimate she has made of the number of police officers with 30 years service or more on 31 March 2010 who had specialist roles.

Theresa May: holding answer 23 November 2010
	The information is not collected centrally.

Police: Offenders

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were convicted of a criminal offence in each of the last five years.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office neither collates nor collects the statistical information requested.

Police: Ports

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the future of port police forces; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: We continue to explore the potential benefits that the employment and usage of ports police provide. We have committed to creating a dedicated border police command, within the new National Crime Agency, to enhance national security, improve immigration controls, and crack down on the trafficking of people, weapons and drugs. This command will have responsibility for tasking and coordinating those border enforcement operational staff who together will form the new Border Police capability, and will strengthen collaboration of all law enforcement agencies operating at the border.

Stop and Search

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many stop and searches there were in  (a) each police authority area and  (b) each London local authority area in each of the last five years;
	(2)  in what proportion of stop and searches in each  (a) police authority area and  (b) London local authority area the subject was from a (i) white, (ii) Black, (iii) Asian and (iv) other ethnic minority background in each of the last five years.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 12 November 2010
	Figures by police force area for each year from 2004-05 to 2008-09 (latest available) are contained in the tables placed in the House Library. These data are not collected centrally at local authority level.
	Figures are provided separately for stops and searches under s1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and stops and searches in anticipation of violence under s60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
	Figures on ethnicity of those stopped and searched use self-defined ethnicity for 2006-07 onwards. Figures on this basis for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are incomplete and therefore figures have been provided on ethnic appearance instead, which means that the categories do not match directly. Any comparisons before and after 2006-07 should therefore be made with caution.
	Figures for total stops and searches appear in the annual Home Office bulletin 'Police Powers and Procedures England and Wales'. The 2008-09 edition is available online at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb0610.pdf
	Figures for ethnicity of those stopped and searched appear in the annual Ministry of Justice publication 'Race and the Criminal Justice System'. The 2008-09 edition is available online at:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/raceandcjs.htm

Stop and Search: Ethnic Groups

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to reduce the number of  (a) Black and  (b) Asian people stopped and searched under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

Nick Herbert: The Government share the concerns about disproportionality in the use of stop and search powers. We are working with the police service to help ensure that stop and search powers are used appropriately. There is, however, no single cause of disproportionality. It is important, therefore, to look at levels of disproportionality, and any specific demographic or other factors, in individual forces.
	The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) have developed 'Next Steps', a diagnostic tool to ensure that a force's use of Stop and Search is not driven by unjustified factors such as discrimination or stereotyping. 'Next Steps' is currently focused on Section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). The NPIA will support forces to implement 'Next Steps' and will target forces with high levels of disproportionality. The NPIA has recently commenced the roll out of 'Next Steps' in Dorset, Merseyside, and one borough of the Metropolitan police service.

Stop and Search: Ethnic Groups

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps she plans to take to reduce the number of  (a) Black and  (b) Asian people stopped and searched under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994;
	(2)  what research her Department has undertaken to identify the causes of the disproportionate number of Black and Asian people stopped and searched under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Nick Herbert: My Department has not undertaken any research on the causes of disproportionality in the use of section 60 stop and search powers.
	Amendments to Code of Practice A, made under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984, which were laid before the House on 17 November 2010, provide further guidance to front-line police officers on the use of section 60 stop and search powers. That guidance makes clear that, in using section 60 powers:
	"officers must take care not to discriminate unlawfully against anyone on the grounds of any of the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010"
	and gives further guidance on those characteristics, which include ethnicity.

Stop and Search: Terrorism

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many stop and searches were carried out under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in  (a) each police authority area and  (b) each London borough in each of the last five years;
	(2)  in what proportion of stop and searches conducted under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 the subject was from  (a) a white,  (b) a Black,  (c) an Asian and  (d) another ethnic minority background in each (i) police authority area and (ii) London local authority area in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many arrests there were as a direct result of a stop and search under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each  (a) police authority area and  (b) London local authority area in each of the last five years.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 12 November 2010
	Figures by police force area for each year from 2004-05 to 2008-09 are contained in the tables placed in the House Library. These data are not collected centrally by London borough level. Further data has been provided which details the number of stop and searches in 2009-2010.
	Figures on ethnicity of those stopped and searched use self-defined ethnicity for 2006-07 onwards. Figures on this basis for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are incomplete and therefore figures have been provided on ethnic appearance instead, which means that the categories do not match directly. Any comparisons before and after 2006-07 should therefore be made with caution.
	Figures for total stops and searches appear in the annual Home Office bulletin "Police Powers and Procedures England and Wales". The 2008-09 edition is available on-line at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb0610.pdf
	Figures for total stops and searches under Section 44 also appear in the Home Office bulletin "Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and Subsequent Legislation: Arrests, Outcomes and Stops & Searches". The 2009-10 edition is available on-line at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb1810.pdf
	Figures for ethnicity of those stopped and searched appear in the annual Ministry of Justice publication "Race and the Criminal Justice System". The 2008-09 edition is available on-line at:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/raceandcjs.htm

Visas

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria she has set for measuring the requirement that a Tier 1 visa applicant has achieved international recognition or is likely to do so.

Damian Green: We will announce details of the criteria for Tier 1 applicants of exceptional talent in due course.

Yarl's Wood Detention Centre: Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) health,  (b) recreational,  (c) educational and  (d) religious facilities are available for children in the Yarl's Wood detention centre.

Damian Green: Yarl's Wood, like all immigration removal centres, provides free onsite primary healthcare to the same level of care as NHS general practices in the community. This involves access to nursing care 24 hours per day, and visiting GPs who are on call outside of normal hours. All detainees, including children, are seen by a nurse within two hours of their arrival, and are provided with an appointment to see the GP within 24 hours. The nurse may make an earlier appointment if necessary.
	The centre also provides dedicated services to meet the needs of families and children including a paediatric nurse, health and midwife visitors, weight and immunisation clinics which are able to prescribe malarial prophylaxis for identified risk groups, access to children's acute mental health services (CAMH) and counselling services.
	The GP refers detainees to the local primary care trusts where secondary treatment is required.
	Yarl's Wood provides a wide range of recreational facilities for children including a cinema, youth club overseen by a qualified youth worker, grassed and hard play areas with swings and climbing frames, an area for football and netball and a covered outdoor area with an all-weather pitch. The centre's crèche has a bouncy castle and a children's pet area with guinea pigs and rabbits.
	Yarl's Wood has an Ofsted-registered crèche and school with four classrooms and play area delivering 30 hours per week of tuition by qualified teachers for children aged 5-16 years. The crèche is staffed seven days a week from 9-5 by appropriately qualified child care professionals for children under school age. The centre's gym and sports hall are available for five hours PE Monday to Friday during school hours as part of the delivery of the national curriculum.
	The centre provides for the varied range of faiths and celebrates various religious festivals/cultural events. Multi faith rooms are available daily as are holy books of different faiths. The centre's resident faith ministers are accessible to all, including children.
	While the facilities at Yarl's Wood are of a high standard, the Government have committed to ending the detention of children for immigration purposes as part of their coalition agreement. In July, the Deputy Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr Clegg) announced the closure of the family unit at Yarl's Wood. We will agree a timetable for closing the unit when we announce the new model for managing family cases which support the Government's immigration policies. However, in the meantime, we must continue to ensure families those applications have failed continue to leave the UK promptly.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Departmental Written Questions

Paul Beresford: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many and what proportion of questions tabled to the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission for written answer on a named day were answered substantively before or on the day named for answer  (a) in Session 2009-10 and  (b) since May 2010; how many such questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 had not received a substantive answer by 18 November 2010; and what estimate he has made of the average cost of answering a question for written answer on a named day on the day named for answer in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gary Streeter: Statistics on the handling of parliamentary questions are kept by the Speaker's Committee in connection with its statutory responsibility to report to the House on the exercise of its functions.
	In Session 2009-10, there were 10 questions tabled for answer on a named day, of which four (40%) received a substantive answer on the day named. Since May 2010 there have been eight named day questions, all of which received a substantive answer on the day named. All questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 had received a substantive answer by 18 November 2010.
	Neither the Speaker's Committee nor the Electoral Commission has made an estimate of the average cost of answering a named day question on the day named for answer but it is noted that HM Treasury has established the cost of a written PQ as £149.00:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/parliamentary-clerk-guide/chapter7.aspx

Departmental Written Questions

Paul Beresford: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many and what proportion of questions tabled to the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commissioners for ordinary written answer  (a) in Session 2009-10 and  (b) since May 2010 were answered within (i) seven days and (ii) 14 days of tabling; how many such questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 remained unanswered by 18 November 2010; and what estimate he has made of the average cost of answering a question for ordinary written answer within seven days of tabling in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gary Streeter: Statistics on the handling of parliamentary questions are kept by the Speaker's Committee in connection with its statutory responsibility to report to the House on the exercise of its functions.
	In Session 2009-10, there were 30 questions tabled for ordinary written answer, of which 16 (53%) were answered within seven days and 21 (70%) were answered within 14 days. Between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 there were 22 questions tabled for ordinary written answer, of which 14 (64%) received a substantive answer within seven days and 18 (82%) received a substantive answer within 14 days. These periods include non-sitting Fridays, weekends and parliamentary recesses. All questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 had received a substantive answer by 18 November 2010.
	Neither the Speaker's Committee nor the Electoral Commission has made an estimate of the average cost of answering an ordinary written question within seven days of tabling but it is noted that HM Treasury has established the cost of a written PQ as £149.00:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/parliamentary-clerk-guide/chapter7.aspx

EDUCATION

Academies

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to his announcement of 1 September 2010, whether all the schools listed as converting from outstanding maintained school status have signed the model funding agreement published on his Department's website.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 14 September 2010
	All funding agreements will be published on the Department for Education's website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/academies/fundingagreements

Boarding Schools

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the inspection regime for the state boarding school sector.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 16 November 2010
	 The Department has not made an assessment of the adequacy of the inspection regime for the state boarding sector.
	All boarding schools, whether in the maintained or independent sector, are subject to welfare inspections by Ofsted who inspect against the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools.
	Inspections should be conducted to the highest possible standards and should enjoy the confidence of schools and parents. HM chief inspector, as the head of an independent inspectorate, is responsible for the overall quality of these inspections and ensuring that they are fair and robust.

Boarding Schools

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to expand the provision of state boarding school places; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 16 November 2010
	 The Government support state boarding schools in England and wants to see the sector continue to thrive. We recognise that boarding provision increases the diversity of maintained school provision, contributes to inclusion and can help raise standards.
	There are three academies developing boarding provision which are all due to open in September 2011. They are:
	Harefield Academy in Hillingdon, London-50 boarders
	Priory LSST Academy in Lincolnshire-60 (post 16) boarders
	Wellington Academy in Wiltshire-100 boarders

Bookstart Programme: Finance

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will allocate funding to the Bookstart programme for  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) subsequent years.

Sarah Teather: The Department for Education's overall funding settlement was announced on 20 October 2010. We are working through the details of that settlement and the funding implications for individual policy and programmes, including the funding of Bookstart. We will make further announcements over the coming weeks.

Children: Hearing Impairment

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the  (a) level and  (b) effectiveness of the provision of specialist support services for deaf children by local authorities.

Sarah Teather: The Department does not require local authorities to provide specific information on deaf children. However, the Special Educational Needs (Provision of Information by local Education Authorities) Regulations 2001 and the School Information Regulations 2008 require local authorities to publish their arrangements and policies on the provision available for children with special educational needs, which will include deaf children.
	The Special Educational Needs Information Act (2008) requires the annual publication of information about children in England with special educational needs. The information published includes local authority data on outcomes for these children by SEN type, including hearing impairment, at key stages 2 and 4 in English, Maths and Science.

Children: Hearing Impairment

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department requires local authorities to provide parents of deaf children with information on  (a) specialist provision for deaf children,  (b) eligibility criteria for support from the specialist support service for deaf children, (c) the (i) level and (ii) effectiveness of the specialist support service for deaf children and (d) the outcomes achieved by deaf children in their area.

Sarah Teather: The Department does not require local authorities to provide specific information on deaf children. However, the Special Educational Needs (Provision of Information by Local Education Authorities) Regulations 2001 and the School Information Regulations 2008 require local authorities to publish their arrangements and policies on the provision available for children with special educational needs, which will include deaf children.
	The Special Educational Needs Information Act (2008) requires the annual publication of information about children in England with special educational needs. The information published includes local authority data on outcomes for these children by SEN type, including hearing impairment, at key stages 2 and 4 in English, Maths and Science.

Children: Service Personnel

Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department plans to allocate a supplement to the proposed pupil premium in respect of the children of service personnel.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 16 November 2010
	We are considering the responses to the consultation on school funding which ended on 18 October 2010, which included proposals to extend the pupil premium to the children of service personnel. We expect to announce our decisions on this shortly.

Curriculum

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 728-9W, on environmental protection: curriculum, when he expects to announce further details of the plans to review the curriculum; whether he expects that review to include a public consultation exercise; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 22 November 2010
	Further details of our plans to review the National Curriculum will be announced shortly. We intend that the review process will be open and transparent and can confirm that we will be consulting widely, including launching a public call for evidence.

Departmental Grants

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department has allocated in grants for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and how much such funding he plans to allocate for 2011-12.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 22 November 2010
	The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The published Resource Accounts for 2009-10 show that we allocated £54.8 billion in grants that year.
	 (b) The Departmental Main Estimate shows that we expect to award £56.8 billion in grants in 2010-11.
	Grant to be awarded in 2011-12 are not yet finalised.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in the Department in each of the last three years.

Tim Loughton: The total spend on official hospitality by the Department for Children, Schools and Families' Ministers in each of the last three financial years is:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007-08 9,000 
			 2008-09 4,763 
			 2009-10 8,998 
		
	
	All departmental expenditure relating to official hospitality is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in  (a) September and  (b) October 2010.

Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State and Ministers hosted seven briefing events during this period, involving approximately 72 stakeholders from across the education and children's sectors to outline policy priorities and listen to their views. The total amount spent was £382.
	All expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Pay

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether all contracted staff working for his Department are paid at the level of the London living wage or above.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 19 November 2010
	All contracted staff working for the Department for Education in London are paid at the level of the London living wage or above. This does not apply to contracted staff working at our regional headquarter offices who are paid at the level of the National Minimum Wage or above.

Education Maintenance Allowance

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people in  (a) England,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) Walsall Borough receive education maintenance allowance.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 11 November 2010
	This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member for Walsall North with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 17 November 2010:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ23265 that asked:
	"How many people in (a) England (b) the West Midlands and (c) Walsall Borough receive education maintenance allowance."
	EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	As at 31st October 2010 the take-up figures for young people who have received EMA during the 2010/11 academic year are:
	England 514,179
	West Midlands 64,308
	Walsall Borough 3,738
	EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
	http://ema.ypla.gov.uk/resources/research/takeup/

Education Maintenance Allowance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people in  (a) Newcastle upon Tyne North constituency,  (b) the North East and  (c) England received education maintenance allowance in each year since its inception.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 23 November 2010:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ24443 that asked:
	"How many young people in (a) Newcastle Upon Tyne North constituency, (b) the North East and (c) England received Education Maintenance Allowance in each year since its inception."
	Information on the number of young people who have received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority Level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	The following table shows EMA take-up during each academic year since inception for England, the North East and Newcastle Upon Tyne Local Authority area.
	
		
			   England  North East  Newcastle upon Tyne 
			 2004/05 297,568 19,409 1,165 
			 2005/06 430,327 25,755 2,168 
			 2006/07 526,808 32,360 3,051 
			 2007/08 547,235 33,803 3,282 
			 2008/09 576,144 34,934 3,445 
			 2009/10 644,497 39,102 3,726 
			 2010/11(1) 515,726 31,578 2,982 
			 (1 )To 31 October 2010. 
		
	
	In comparing across years, it is important to understand that national roll-out was phased over several years. In the first year EMA was available to all 16-year-olds across England and to 17 and 18-year-olds in former pilot areas. In 2005/06 EMA was available to all 16 and 17-year-olds nationally. From 2006/07 EMA was available to all 16, 17 and 18-year-olds nationally.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people claimed education maintenance allowance in each year since its introduction in  (a) England,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) Coventry.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Coventry North East with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in Birmingham received education maintenance allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 23 November 2010:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ24865 that asked:
	"How many pupils in Birmingham received education maintenance allowance in the last year for which figures are available."
	Information on the number of young people who have received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority (LA) level. The take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year and is based on the learners' home address and postcode.
	The current EMA take up for Birmingham LA for the 2010/11 academic year to date (as at 31/10/10) is 15,896.
	For the last full academic year (2009/10) the take-up was 19,862 (as at 31/08/10).

Education Maintenance Allowance: North Tyneside

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in North Tyneside receive education maintenance allowance (EMA); and what steps his Department is taking to assist those students who will no longer receive EMA in the next academic year to understand and prepare for the new system to replace EMA.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 25 November 2010
	 Figures on current take-up of education maintenance allowance (EMA) are a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the scheme for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Young people who are currently receiving the EMA will continue to receive it to the end of this academic year. Those who are continuing their education next September and need financial help with learning costs may be eligible for support from the enhanced discretionary learner support fund that will be administered by their school, college or training provider. The Department will consult with schools, colleges and training providers about the arrangements for the enhanced discretionary learner support scheme that will replace EMA, including how to communicate the changes to students.

Free School Meals: Northumberland

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children were in receipt of free school meals in  (a) Wansbeck constituency and  (b) Northumberland on the latest date for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: Information on free school meal eligibility is shown in the table. This includes full-time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged five to 15.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery, maintained primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1,2)  and special( 3)  schools: School meal arrangements( 4,5) -As at January 2010 in Wansbeck parliamentary constituency, Northumberland local authority and England 
			   Wansbeck parliamentary constituency  Northumberland local authority  England 
			   No.  on roll( 4,5)  No.  of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4,5)  %  known to be eligible for free school meals  No.  on roll( 4,5)  No.  of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4,5)  %  known to be eligible for free school meals  No.  on roll( 4,5)  No.  of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4,5)  %  known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 Maintained nursery and maintained primary(1) 3,340 640 19.2 15,490 2,390 15.4 3,838,680 711,410 18.5 
			 State-funded secondary(1,2) 8,450 1,530 18.1 24,890 3,290 13.2 2,864,350 441,140 15.4 
			 Special(3) 200 60 32.5 450 160 35.9 78,330 27,330 34.9 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (5) Includes pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Free Schools

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department's free schools group provides advice to the public on setting up free schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education is committed to providing advice and support to those with an interest in Free Schools and to those who are developing proposals. In addition to the inquiry services provided by the Department, the New Schools Network acts as first point of contact for groups and individuals interested in setting up a Free School.

GCE A-level

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many pupils in further education colleges were entered for a modern foreign languages A-level in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) maintained selective schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for A-levels in each such case;
	(2)  how many pupils in further education colleges were entered for a chemistry A-level in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) maintained selective schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for A levels in each such case;
	(3)  how many pupils in further education colleges were entered for a psychology A-level in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) maintained selective schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for A levels in each such case;
	(4)  how many pupils in further education colleges were entered for physics A-level in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) maintained selective schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for A levels in each such case.

Nick Gibb: The information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of students in further education who were entered for a modern foreign languages A-level by type of institution 
			   Comprehensive schools  Maintained selective schools  Independent schools 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1997 13,436 14.6 4,031 23.8 11,117 30.6 
			 1998 13,022 13.4 3,898 22.2 10,907 29.8 
			 1999 12,374 12.5 3,614 20.4 10,664 29.0 
			 2000 10,897 11.0 3,386 18.9 9,965 28.0 
			 2001 11,080 10.7 3,538 19.3 9,902 28.8 
			 2002 9,695 8.8 3,339 18.3 9,525 29.0 
			 2003 9,257 8.0 3,094 16.4 9,667 28.3 
			 2004 8,984 7.7 3,073 15.9 9,535 27.4 
			 2005 8,897 7.6 3,061 15.3 9,225 27.5 
			 2006 9,609 8.2 3,071 15.3 9,423 27.9 
			 2007 9,814 8.7 3,350 16.2 9,168 27.5 
			 2008 10,318 8.8 3,416 16.1 9,560 27.7 
			 2009 10,184 8.5 3,213 15.2 10,022 28.4 
			 2010(1) 10,839 8.6 3,571 16.2 9,087 25.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of students in further education who were entered for a chemistry A-level by type of institution 
			   Comprehensive schools  Maintained selective schools  Independent schools 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1997 14,460 15.7 3,961 23.4 8,703 24.0 
			 1998 14,718 15.2 4,200 23.9 8,996 24.6 
			 1999 14,333 14.5 4,162 23.5 8,833 24.0 
			 2000 14,318 14.4 4,248 23.7 8,521 24.0 
			 2001 13,601 13.1 4,307 23.4 8,326 24.2 
			 2002 13,236 12.0 4,264 23.3 7,922 24.1 
			 2003 12,202 10.6 4,246 22.5 7,788 22.8 
			 2004 12,528 10.7 4,405 22.8 8,185 23.5 
			 2005 13,031 11.2 4,532 22.7 7,980 23.8 
			 2006 13,592 11.7 4,858 24.2 8,072 23.9 
			 2007 13,861 12.3 5,013 24.3 7,850 23.6 
			 2008 14,286 12.2 5,396 25.5 7,966 23.0 
			 2009 14,770 12.3 5,321 25.1 7,968 22.6 
			 2010(1) 16,674 13.3 6,019 27.4 8,078 22.7 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of students in further education who were entered for a psychology A-level by type of institution 
			   Comprehensive schools  Maintained selective schools  Independent schools 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1997 6,230 6.8 837 4.9 463 1.3 
			 1998 7,782 8.0 1,021 5.8 575 1.6 
			 1999 8,586 8.7 1,168 6.6 595 1.6 
			 2000 9,669 9.8 1,283 7.1 790 2.2 
			 2001 11,109 10.7 1,468 8.0 751 2.2 
			 2002 14,066 12.8 2,034 11.1 1,404 4.3 
			 2003 16,830 14.6 2,702 14.3 2,033 6.0 
			 2004 19,484 16.7 3,113 16.1 2,505 7.2 
			 2005 21,696 18.6 3,585 17.9 2,507 7.5 
			 2006 23,003 19.7 3,883 19.4 2,799 8.3 
			 2007 22,743 20.1 3,890 18.9 2,820 8.5 
			 2008 23,379 20.0 3,948 18.6 3,035 8.8 
			 2009 23,910 19.9 3,821 18.0 3,134 8.9 
			 2010(1) 25,604 20.4 4,264 19.4 3,315 9.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of students in further education who were entered for a physics A-level by type of institution 
			   Comprehensive schools  Maintained selective schools  Independent schools 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1997 12,126 13.2 3,305 19.5 6,454 17.8 
			 1998 12,546 12.9 3,582 20.4 6,648 18.2 
			 1999 12,694 12.8 3,575 20.2 6,734 18.3 
			 2000 12,098 12.2 3,622 20.2 6,467 18.2 
			 2001 12,052 11.6 3,568 19.4 6,455 18.7 
			 2002 12,221 11.1 3,603 19.7 6,190 18.9 
			 2003 11,175 9.7 3,537 18.8 6,143 18.0 
			 2004 10,202 8.7 3,298 17.1 6,037 17.3 
			 2005 10,313 8.9 3,339 16.7 5,469 16.3 
			 2006 9,916 8.5 3,167 15.8 5,651 16.7 
			 2007 9,921 8.8 3,291 16.0 5,423 16.3 
			 2008 10,118 8.7 3,491 16.5 5,627 16.3 
			 2009 10,748 9.0 3,527 16.7 5,796 16.4 
			 2010(1) 11,875 9.5 3,817 17.4 6,144 17.2 
			 (1) Figures for 2010 are provisional, all other years are final.  Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables (AATs).

GCE A-level

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of students who attained A to C grades overall in A-levels in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010 who had not re-sat any examination;
	(2)  how many students re-sat  (a) AS and  (b) A2 examinations in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010;
	(3)  whether he has made an estimate of the number of students who re-sat  (a) AS and  (b) A2 examinations in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010 who attained a mark higher than their original grade;
	(4)  whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of students who attained A to C grades overall in A-levels in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010 who had re-sat (i) one and (ii) more than one AS examination;
	(5)  what proportion of students attaining A grades overall in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010 re-sat (i) no examinations, (ii) one A2 examination, (iii) more than one A2 examination, (iv) one AS examination and (v) more than one AS examination;
	(6)  how many students who re-sat more than one  (a) AS and  (b) A2 examination in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010 achieved a mark higher than that of their original grade;
	(7)  how many students who sat  (a) AS and  (b) A2 examinations in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010 attained higher grades overall as a result of re-sitting examinations.

Nick Gibb: The information can currently be provided only at disproportionate cost. However we are interested in how re-sitting affects results and will be looking to assess the impact of recent changes which have reduced the number of units for most A and AS levels.

Music: Finance

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in his Department's funding of the Music Standards Fund on the core grant for  (a) the Bromley Youth Music Trust and  (b) other independent music councils.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State's recent announcement of changes to the Music Standards Fund is about the route by which local authorities currently receive funding for music, not about the funding itself.
	The review that Darren Henley has been asked to carry out will make recommendations on any new route by which that funding will be made available. Following the spending review the Government have protected frontline spending on schools so that we can ensure that investment reaches schools directly. We have signalled that we will be cutting back on centrally funded programmes but no decisions have yet been made on the level of funding that will be made available specifically for music education.

New Schools Network

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  for what reasons he decided not to put the contract eventually awarded to the New Schools Network out to competitive tender;
	(2)  for what reasons he decided not to develop a formal funding agreement with the New Schools Network in respect of the services it has been contracted to provide;
	(3)  whether he had discussions with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on the decisions to  (a) award a contract to the New Schools Network without competitive tendering and  (b) not to develop a formal funding agreement with the New Schools Network following the award of that contract;
	(4)  if he will assess the level of independence of the New Schools Network in respect of its delivery of the services he has contracted it to provide.

Nick Gibb: The formal grant agreement (not a contract) with New Schools Network (NSN), an independent charity, was signed on 8 November 2010. It contains appropriate clauses regarding conflicts of interest, performance indicators and the provision of information among others, as is usual practice.
	The Department considered carefully the options for securing the requisite services from an external organisation. Given the need for specialist skills and experience to be in place quickly, it was decided to award a time-limited grant to NSN. In doing so the Department took account of the UK Public Procurement Regulations 2006 and the Compact Commissioning Guidance. There have not been any discussions with the Cabinet Office relating to this award.
	NSN has championed the development of parent and teacher promoted schools and has been providing advice and support to those interested in establishing new schools since 2009. It has also been developing networks among interested groups and individuals. This experience makes it ideally placed to fulfil the role. The Department has given similar grants in the past, such as to the NSPCC, the Holocaust Education Trust, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the Youth Sport Trust.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2010,  Official Report, column 920W, on the Children, Schools and Families Act 2010, if he will place in the Library a copy of each document on each file on Clauses 11 to 14 that relate to  (a) sex education and  (b) general PSHE policy; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Clauses 11 to 14 of the Children, Schools and Families Act 2010 relate to:
	 Family Proceedings
	11. Restriction on publication of information relating to family proceedings
	12. Authorised publication of court orders and judgments
	13. Authorised news publications
	14. Permitting publication for purposes of section 13; general
	None of these clauses refer to sex education or general PSHE policy.

Primary Education

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to improve Key Stage 1 results.

Nick Gibb: Too many young children are not achieving the standards expected in early literacy and numeracy. In order to raise standards we will provide the resources to support the teaching of systematic synthetic phonics; introduce a new year 1 phonics screening check to confirm whether children have acquired the basics of phonic decoding and identify those needing additional support; and, as part of the review of the National Curriculum, make sure that children are able to grasp the core arithmetical functions by the time they leave primary school. We are also introducing a pupil premium to provide extra funding for those schools with the most challenging intakes.
	Further details of these and additional reforms to improve standards are set out in The Importance of Teaching, Schools White Paper which was published on 24 November 2010.

Primary Education: Curriculum

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the remit of his Department's review of the national curriculum in primary schools includes a review of the use of a cross-curricular teaching approach; what recent representations he has received opposing any prohibition on a cross-curricular approach; and if he will made a statement.

Nick Gibb: We will be announcing detailed plans for a review of the national curriculum before the end of the year. There are no plans, however, to review the use of a cross-curricular teaching approach.
	It is not the role of the national curriculum to prescribe how teachers should teach or how schools should organise their curriculum. We intend to give schools greater freedom over the curriculum by focusing the national curriculum on core knowledge and understanding in subject disciplines, whilst allowing schools to decide how best to teach and organise their curriculum to ensure that children acquire that knowledge and understanding.
	We have received no recent representations opposing any prohibition on a cross-curricular approach.

Pupils: Bullying

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to promote anti-bullying week; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The annual anti-bullying week presents a unique opportunity to focus the nation's attention on bullying issues and how to tackle it. During this year's anti-bullying week, the coalition Government are sending key messages to schools, young people and anti-bullying organisations regarding our commitment to tackling all forms of bullying through different mediums.
	On 12 November 2010 I did an interview with the BBC in conjunction with Beatbullying on how to address bullying in schools. On 17 November 2010, the Deputy Prime Minster met a delegation from Beatbullying, receiving their petition on behalf of the Government. He also published a video message on YouTube to reinforce the importance of tackling homophobic bullying in schools and the wider society. On the same day, the Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Children, Tim Loughton addressed the Anti-Bullying Alliance youth summit on behalf of the Government.

Pupils: Bullying

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on reducing the levels of bullying in schools; what response his Department provided; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government are committed to tackling all forms of bullying and want schools to take a zero-tolerance approach to tackling bullying in and outside the school. Anti-bullying organisations play an invaluable role in supporting schools to develop their approaches to tackling bullying, and supporting the victims of bullying.
	On Tuesday 9 November I met with eight organisations that have an interest in tackling bullying, to discuss the coalition Government's approach to tackling bullying and to draw on their expertise and experience. They were the Anti-Bullying Alliance, Diana Award, Schools Out, Council for Disabled Children, Mencap, Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH), Stonewall and Beatbullying. At the end of the meeting, I asked them to send me their ideas on how together we can support schools in tackling bullying.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his proposed pupil premium payment will be paid to schools in addition to any funding already allocated to a pupil with a statement of special educational need.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 9 November 2010
	 The pupil premium will be based on figures from the previous January school census for relevant pupils in years from reception to year 11, irrespective of whether they have a statement or not. The grant will be paid to local authorities and they will be required to pass the premium on in its entirety to maintained mainstream schools.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how his proposed pupil premium will apply in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The pupil premium will operate in all areas of the country, including rural areas. We are considering the responses to the consultation on school funding which ended on 18 October, including the question of which deprivation indicator to use. Once we have selected a deprivation indicator it will be the same across the country.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in Bournemouth West constituency are expected to receive the pupil premium in the next 12 months.

Nick Gibb: We are considering the responses to the consultation on school funding which ended on 18 October, including the question of which deprivation indicator to use. The number of children eligible, either in a constituency or in England as a whole, will depend on this decision.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of his proposed pupil premium on children in  (a) Suffolk Coastal constituency and  (b) England.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 15 November 2010
	We are considering the responses to the consultation on school funding which ended on 18 October, including the question of which deprivation indicator to use. The number of children eligible, either in a constituency or in England as a whole, will depend on this decision.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of educational attainment by pupils eligible for free school meals in  (a) South Thanet constituency and  (b) England.

Nick Gibb: The latest available information for the 2008/09 academic year is provided in the following tables. The information for the 2009/10 academic year will be available after the publication of the Key Stage 2 and GCSE and Equivalent Attainment by Pupil Characteristics Statistical First Releases in December.
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils( 1,2)  achieving the expected level in English and Maths, and Reading, Writing and Maths, at Key Stage 2 in 2008/09( 3) 
			   Pupils eligible for free school meals  Pupils not eligible for free school meals 
			   Percentage achieving the expected level in English and Mathematics  Percentage achieving the expected level in Reading, Writing and Mathematics  Percentage achieving the expected level in English and Mathematics  Percentage achieving the expected level in Reading, Writing and Mathematics 
			 South Thanet 41 33 66 57 
			 England 53.6 41.5 75.7 65.4 
			 (1) Includes pupils attending maintained schools including CTCs and academies. (2) Overseas pupils are excluded from the parliamentary constituency figures. They are however included in the national figures. (3) Data are final.  Source: National Pupil Database 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils( 1,2)  achieving 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent, and 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and Maths GCSEs, 2008/09( 3) 
			   Pupils eligible for free school meals  Pupils not eligible for free school meals 
			   Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C grades  Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C grades including English and Maths  Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C grades  Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C grades including English and Maths 
			 South Thanet 52.5 21.9 77.8 56.0 
			 England 48.9 26.5 72.8 54.3 
			 (1) Includes pupils attending maintained schools including CTCs and academies. (2) Overseas pupils are excluded from the parliamentary constituency figures. They are however included in the national figures. (3) Data are final.  Source: National Pupil Database

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the effects of his proposed pupil premium in  (a) South Thanet constituency and  (b) England.

Nick Gibb: We have made no assessment of the effect of the pupil premium in specific constituencies. We are considering the responses to the consultation on school funding which ended on 18 October, including the question of which deprivation indicator to use. We expect the effect of introducing the pupil premium across England to be one of raising the attainment of those children who are eligible for it.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of children in  (a) South Thanet constituency and  (b) England who will receive the proposed pupil premium.

Nick Gibb: We are considering the responses to the consultation on school funding which ended on 18 October, including the question of which deprivation indicator to use. The number of children eligible, either in a constituency or in England as a whole, will depend on this decision.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what indicators of deprivation apart from free school meals his Department uses to measure levels of deprivation for school children; and what the level of deprivation for school children in  (a) Hastings and Rye constituency,  (b) East Sussex and  (c) England is according to each of those indicators.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education uses the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index 2007 (IDACI) to measure levels of deprivation alongside the information the Department collects about free school meal eligibility.
	
		
			  Numbers and percentage of resident pupils( 1)  by IDACI decile 
			   Hastings and Rye constituency  East Sussex  England 
			  IDACI decile  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 0-10% most deprived 227 1.9 2,499 3.9 986,773 13.2 
			 10-20% 3,041 26.0 6,052 9.4 865,456 11.6 
			 20-30% 1,981 17.0 7,747 12.0 781,074 10.4 
			 30-40% 1,422 12.2 7,397 11.5 729,243 9.8 
			 40-50% 1,351 11.6 7,387 11.5 705,556 9.4 
			 50-60% 775 6.6 6.356 9.9 689,114 9.2 
			 60-70% 965 8.3 9,441 14.6 678,145 9.1 
			 70-80% 645 5.5 9,915 15.4 684,317 9.2 
			 80-90% 911 7.8 5,119 7.9 684,564 9.2 
			 90-100% least deprived 361 3.1 2,591 4.0 674,252 9.0 
			 (1) Includes solely registered and main registration of dually registered pupils attending maintained primary, secondary, special, non-maintained special, CTCs and academies.   Source:  School Census January 2010.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of RAISEonline as an indicator of deprivation; and whether he plans to adopt this mechanism to allocate funds through the pupil premium.

Nick Gibb: RAISEonline is an interactive web-based database used by schools to support their school self evaluation-it is a system rather than an indicator. It does hold some data on pupil characteristics including eligibility for FSM which is one of the options being considered as a deprivation indicator.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what indicators of deprivation he is considering for use as the mechanism for allocating funds through the pupil premium.

Nick Gibb: The indicators of deprivation being considered are those set out in the 'Consultation on school funding 2011-12: Introducing a pupil premium'. They are free school meal eligibility-which could be current eligibility or a measure of whether a pupil is currently or has been eligible for FSM; tax credit indicator-pupils in families in receipt of out of work tax credit; and Mosaic or Acorn-commercial packages based on classifications of postcodes.

Pupils: Electoral Register

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to take steps to ensure that schools assist all eligible pupils to register to vote.

Nick Gibb: The Government are keen to promote opportunities for young people to participate in politics, but we have no plans to do this via schools. We are committed to reducing bureaucracy in schools to allow them to concentrate on their core business, which is to raise standards of attainment. Electoral registration officers (EROs) are under a statutory duty to compile and maintain comprehensive and accurate electoral registers. Information about registering to vote is available locally through local authority websites and on the Electoral Commission website at:
	http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/
	and on:
	http://www.direct.gov.uk/

Pupils: Equality

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to reduce the difference between the attainment levels of boys and girls in schools.

Nick Gibb: We are committed to raising the attainment of all pupils in schools, regardless of their gender, ethnicity and special educational needs.
	We know that boys in particular seem to experience problems with reading and writing and subjects that depend most heavily on those skills. Our emphasis on early mastery of the basics, including through systematic synthetic phonics teaching, will give all children a firm foundation on which to build their future learning and should particularly benefit boys who are struggling.

Pupils: Health

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with ministerial colleagues in the Department of Health on the preparation of guidance for schools that clarifies expectations and statutory responsibilities, including the roles and responsibilities of key staff members, on the management by schools of long-term health conditions, such as asthma.

Nick Gibb: The Departments of Health and Education are working together to produce concise guidance about the management by schools of long-term health conditions, such as asthma. This aims to clarify expectations and statutory responsibilities, and to provide a clear explanation of the roles and responsibilities of key staff members. It will replace the existing guidance: "Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Year Settings", which was published jointly by the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills in 2005.

Resits: Free School Meals

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the cost to the public purse was of re-sit examinations in the academic year 2009-10; and whether he made an estimate of the number of students eligible for free school meals who re-sat examinations in that year.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not collect this information. Decisions on re-taking examinations are taken at school level, on academic grounds, by teachers, pupils, and their parents or carers.

Schools

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will issue guidance to schools on his priorities for the state sector.

Nick Gibb: The Schools White Paper, "The Importance of Teaching", published on 24 November, sets out our plans to raise educational standards to the levels of the best performing countries and narrow the attainment gap between pupils from rich and poor backgrounds. An Education Bill will follow to introduce the legislation needed to make the vision set out in the White Paper a reality. The Government trust head teachers and want to give schools the freedom and flexibility to make the right decisions to deliver high quality education to all children and young people. This means freeing schools from excessive central prescription and significantly reducing the amount of guidance and advice given to schools. We are currently reviewing the thousands of pages of guidance issued to schools and will remove any unnecessary documents. We will also significantly strip back and consolidate what remains into a small number of clear, readable and useful guides on key issues.

Schools: Capital Investment

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding excluding funding previously allocated to the Building Schools for the Future programme he plans to allocate to rebuilding or refurbishing  (a) primary schools and  (b) secondary schools in (i) England, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) Coventry in each of the next five years.

Nick Gibb: Decisions about future capital funding including funding for primary and secondary schools will be determined in the light of the capital review announced by the Secretary of State on 5 July. The capital review team will complete its work by the end of the calendar year.
	In the spending review announcement on 20 October 2010, the Chancellor announced that DfE capital spending will be:
	
		
			   £ billion 
			 2011-12 4.9 
			 2012-13 4.2 
			 2013-14 3.3 
			 2014-15 3.4

Schools: Hearing Impairment

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that deaf children are able to receive high-quality teaching in British sign language in mainstream schools;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure access to appropriate learning resources for deaf children attending mainstream schools;
	(3)  what recent representations he has received on the quality and availability of educational support and resources for deaf children.

Sarah Teather: High quality teaching is the cornerstone to improving the educational outcomes for all children. The Government currently sponsor the I Sign project-a three-year pilot led by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People and the National Deaf Children's Society-which supports our position of giving parents greater choice by putting in place the British Sign Language (BSL) skills infrastructure necessary to make BSL a viable option for families.
	Through investment in BSL courses for interpreters and tutors and the development of a new Level 3 Certificate in Learning Support (Communication Support Worker), the I Sign pilot aims to help improve the educational attainment of deaf and hearing impaired pupils by increasing the BSL skills of the workforce for ail those who work with deaf children and families, including those in mainstream settings.
	Mainstream schools have a duty to use best endeavours to make the provision that a child's learning difficulties requires. We will be publishing a Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities which will look at how to improve families' experience of the SEN system. As part of that, we will be looking at how to increase local solutions to better enable localities to develop provision that makes the best use of staff and specialist resources.
	The Government value the important contribution from those organisations and individuals working to support deaf children and their families and welcome their input into how the needs of these children can best be met. The recent National Deaf Children's Society's Hands up for Help! report, as well as contributions received during the recent Green Paper call for views, will be considered in informing the development of the forthcoming Green Paper.

Schools: Sports

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to his letter of 20 October 2010 to the Youth Sport Trust, whether he plans to  (a) redirect to and  (b) ring-fence in school budgets the funding presently allocated to the Youth Sport Trust; what his policy is on the development of school sport; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The grant currently allocated to the Youth Sport Trust by the previous Government funds them to work on a range of policy areas in connection with PE and sport in schools. The Department's grant funding agreement with the Trust expires at the end of March 2011. In his letter to the Youth Sport Trust of 20 October 2010, the Secretary of State explained that he had no plans to commission further work from the Youth Sport Trust in these areas. The money saved will not be fed through the Dedicated Schools Grant and further details on the Coalition Government's approach to school sport will be announced shortly.
	This Government's approach to PE and school sport differs fundamentally from that of the last Government. While the network of school sport partnerships has helped schools to increase participation rates in areas targeted by the previous Government, the fact remains that the proportion of pupils playing competitive sport regularly has remained disappointingly low. Only around two in every five pupils play competitive sport regularly within their own school, and only one in five plays regularly against other schools. Through the comprehensive spending review, the Secretary of State has ensured that front line budgets for schools have been protected. The removal of centrally driven, top down programmes will mean that schools will have more flexibility to use their funding in areas which they identify as their own priorities. This includes competitive sport.
	The Coalition Government will encourage more competitive sport through the creation of an Olympic-style school sport competition. Over the next year, the Department for Education will work closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to develop a model to take this forward.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department provided to each local authority in England for careers and connexions services in  (a) 2008-9 and  (b) 2009-10 and what equivalent expenditure he expects to incur in 2010.

Nick Gibb: Connexions funding is paid to local authorities as part of the Area Based Grant (ABG). Local authorities are free to use the un-ringfenced ABG as they see fit to support the delivery of local, regional and national priorities in their areas. The Connexions allocations for each local authority in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Local authority  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,135,835 2,240,946 2,307,413 
			 Barnet 2,859,769 2,714,745 2,620,723 
			 Barnsley 2,205,107 2,313,628 2,543,299 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 1,403,928 1,370,345 1,363,043 
			 Bedfordshire(1) 3,505,688 - - 
			 Bedford borough - 1,465,059 1,462,201 
			 Central Bedfordshire - 1,965,163 1,976,288 
			 Bexley 2,258,109 2,224,658 2,241,851 
			 Birmingham 11,598,496 11,054,022 11,041,218 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 1,897,017 1,944,424 1,942,646 
			 Blackpool 1,847,217 1,837,938 1,827,692 
			 Bolton 2,951,714 3,096,977 3,126,891 
			 Bournemouth 1,322,610 1,387,700 1,417,809 
			 Bracknell Forest 1,248,546 1,185,230 1,065,998 
			 Bradford 4,999,312 5,231,922 5,261,420 
			 Brent 2,601,070 2,483,963 2,469,858 
			 Brighton and Hove 2,180,983 2,189,813 2,167,918 
			 Bristol 3,576,383 3,484,002 3,447,371 
			 Bromley 2,499,349 2,403,908 2,408,810 
			 Buckinghamshire 3,784,634 3,592,708 3,455,960 
			 Bury 1,656,126 1,737,629 1,887,805 
			 Calderdale 2,073,434 2,046,741 2,057,580 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,536,860 4,306,787 4,066,514 
			 Camden 1,925,970 2,020,753 2,079,846 
			 Cheshire(1) 5,350,028 - - 
			 Cheshire East - 2,490,744 2,504,255 
			 Cheshire West and Chester - 2,738,198 2,739,897 
			 City of London 217,476 228,178 250,829 
			 Cornwall 3,965,389 4,123,537 4,120,511 
			 Coventry 3,342,950 3,173,422 3,158,928 
			 Croydon 3,205,064 3,209,614 3,211,589 
			 Cumbria 4,442,949 4,217,638 4,093,511 
			 Darlington 995,950 1,044,964 1,148,696 
			 Derby (City) 2,364,299 2,453,271 2,458,612 
			 Derbyshire 6,058,264 5,906,203 5,955,901 
			 Devon 5,387,090 5,220,313 5,227,787 
			 Doncaster 3,134,965 3,289,247 3,347,957 
			 Dorset 2,822,958 2,961,884 3,020,302 
			 Dudley 3,031,490 3,029,173 3,023,431 
			 Durham 4,956,762 4,999,034 5,003,606 
			 Ealing 2,514,411 2,573,209 2,588,967 
			 East Riding of Yorks 2,395,442 2,513,329 2,539,149 
			 East Sussex 3,996,083 4,127,521 4,133,868 
			 Enfield 3,048,524 2,942,302 2,946,685 
			 Essex 10,837,768 10,731,707 10,788,610 
			 Gateshead 1,910,170 2,004,175 2,118,030 
			 Gloucestershire 4,846,892 4,601,097 4,288,908 
			 Greenwich 2,868,202 3,009,355 3,168,221 
			 Hackney 2,609,071 2,737,472 2,888,913 
			 Halton 1,603,374 1,682,281 1,718,540 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,475,346 1,547,953 1,592,527 
			 Hampshire 9,515,254 9,399,152 9,393,133 
			 Haringey 2,476,065 2,593,898 2,588,100 
			 Harrow 1,879,255 1,874,784 1,846,840 
			 Hartlepool 1,113,733 1,168,543 1,284,543 
			 Havering 2,255,523 2,141,141 2,087,035 
			 Herefordshire 1,548,216 1,469,703 1,394,246 
			 Hertfordshire 8,576,130 8,141,218 8,184,407 
			 Hillingdon 2,863,097 2,717,904 2,588,297 
			 Hounslow 2,295,067 2,289,625 2,275,528 
			 Hull 3,220,085 3,376,466 3,363,553 
			 Isle of Wight 1,304,907 1,332,546 1,332,634 
			 Isles of Scilly 25,000 25,000 25,000 
			 Islington 2,092,847 2,195,843 2,413,822 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,793,254 1,702,315 1,531,065 
			 Kent 11,537,262 11,796,670 11,836,047 
			 Kingston Upon Thames 1,187,361 1,146,488 1,127,058 
			 Kirklees 3,752,250 3,936,910 3,960,221 
			 Knowsley 1,996,839 2,095,110 2,303,089 
			 Lambeth 2,439,164 2,527,658 2,540,147 
			 Lancashire 9,332,495 9,692,878 9,695,711 
			 Leeds 6,985,015 6,630,791 6,529,176 
			 Leicester (City) 4,361,000 4,139,845 3,723,384 
			 Leicestershire 4,231,167 4,439,395 4,471,790 
			 Lewisham 2,859,414 2,786,385 2,787,305 
			 Lincolnshire 5,542,404 5,261,338 5,264,350 
			 Liverpool 5,619,996 5,366,083 5,333,680 
			 Luton 2,034,424 2,134,545 2,153,194 
			 Manchester 5,480,855 5,202,910 5,121,423 
			 Medway 2,333,652 2,448,498 2,550,283 
			 Merton 1,628,829 1,546,228 1,473,135 
			 Middlesbrough 1,883,863 1,976,574 2,133,493 
			 Milton Keynes 2,326,563 2,240,110 2,246,998 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 3,041,855 3,000,199 2,973,710 
			 Newham 3,395,303 3,471,609 3,472,979 
			 Norfolk 6,969,810 6,616,357 6,389,342 
			 North East Lincolnshire 1,845,876 1,936,718 2,070,292 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,558,786 1,635,499 1,721,465 
			 North Somerset 1,466,477 1,538,647 1,558,615 
			 North Tyneside 1,881,708 1,974,312 1,986,382 
			 North Yorkshire 4,474,612 4,247,696 4,216,686 
			 Northamptonshire 6,173,383 5,860,319 5,648,861 
			 Northumberland 3,190,975 3,029,154 2,813,002 
			 Nottingham (City) 3,319,723 3,162,497 3,128,087 
			 Nottinghamshire 6,639,216 6,302,528 6,257,359 
			 Oldham 2,486,158 2,608,510 2,685,121 
			 Oxfordshire 4,913,800 4,669,339 4,657,858 
			 Peterborough 1,788,971 1,877,012 1,962,997 
			 Plymouth 2,353,042 2,468,127 2,449,832 
			 Poole 1,183,921 1,189,791 1,173,789 
			 Portsmouth 1,845,179 1,928,417 1,920,840 
			 Reading 1,216,312 1,276,171 1,321,260 
			 Redbridge 2,181,020 2,167,227 2,172,357 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1,712,832 1,797,126 1,825,497 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,323,865 1,256,730 1,163,227 
			 Rochdale 2,264,862 2,376,323 2,506,746 
			 Rotherham 2,749,965 2,885,300 3,101,497 
			 Rutland 269,331 282,585 310,637 
			 Salford 2,504,047 2,581,857 2,576,179 
			 Sandwell 3,396,071 3,558,512 3,577,380 
			 Sefton 2,883,000 2,804,102 2,797,167 
			 Sheffield 4,801,931 4,955,465 4,957,247 
			 Shropshire 2,328,714 2,216,296 2,202,159 
			 Slough 1,206,360 1,265,729 1,285,588 
			 Solihull 2,127,535 2,089,791 2,093,279 
			 Somerset 4,302,492 4,084,304 3,960,444 
			 South Gloucestershire 2,127,551 2,019,659 2,011,391 
			 South Tyneside 1,820,008 1,873,976 1,875,510 
			 Southampton 2,010,141 2,109,067 2,185.394 
			 Southend on Sea 1,500,644 1,574,496 1,636,062 
			 Southwark 3,179,484 3,161,844 3,178,853 
			 St Helens 2,079,205 2,090,147 2,089,913 
			 Staffordshire 6,737,879 6,744,172 6,737,109 
			 Stockport 2,390,783 2,508,441 2,520,061 
			 Stockton on Tees 1,932,205 2,027,295 2,065,879 
			 Stoke on Trent 2,761,049 2,896,929 3,080,460 
			 Suffolk 5,776,012 5,508,235 5,531,601 
			 Sunderland 3,340,512 3,333,282 3,336,564 
			 Surrey 8,628,887 8,191,299 7,367,269 
			 Sutton 1,602,425 1,654,444 1,660,234 
			 Swindon 1,844,348 1,846,214 1,847,666 
			 Tameside 2,375,322 2,492,219 2,499,106 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1,773,089 1,798,599 1,803,889 
			 Thurrock 1,453,580 1,525,116 1,657,326 
			 Torbay 1,148,857 1,205,396 1,300,057 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,716,974 2,850,684 3,133,669 
			 Trafford 1,819,698 1,886,908 1,892,281 
			 Wakefield 3,277,829 3,386,663 3,399,169 
			 Walsall 2,919,640 3,061,227 3,068,488 
			 Waltham Forest 2,434,491 2,457,014 2,459,481 
			 Wandsworth 2,166,382 2,168,526 2,153,211 
			 Warrington 1,720,152 1,754,915 1,767,568 
			 Warwickshire 4,220,230 4,105,983 4,098,631 
			 West Berkshire 1,214,237 1,273,993 1,390,903 
			 West Sussex 5,704,250 5,445,474 5,477,332 
			 Westminster 2,238,826 2,125,291 1,911,490 
			 Wigan 3,120,097 3,273,647 3,298,656 
			 Wiltshire 3,423,148 3,342,973 3,371,102 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1,193,378 1,166,154 1,159,487 
			 Wirral 3,689,000 3,501,924 3,299,236 
			 Wokingham 1,236,931 1,174,204 1,136,637 
			 Wolverhampton 2,619,554 2,748,470 2,890,404 
			 Worcestershire 4,406,206 4,263,443 4,268,515 
			 York 1,391,800 1,418,001 1,396,446 
			 Total England 468,732,000 466,732,000 466,732,000 
			 (1) From 1 April 2009 four new local authorities were created: Bedfordshire LA split into Bedford borough and Central Bedfordshire and Cheshire LA split into Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to allocate funding to local authorities to wind up the careers and connexions services, including for any necessary redundancy payments.

Nick Gibb: Funding allocations for the next spending review period have not yet been determined. Any changes that may be necessary in local service provision as a result of the establishment of the all-age careers service will be for local authorities to work through, involving, where appropriate, Connexions service providers. We will work with local authorities and with contracted Connexions service providers to support them over the transition period as we move to establish an all-age careers service.

Science: GCSE

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils in  (a) Skipton and Ripon constituency,  (b) North Yorkshire and  (c) England were entered for (i) chemistry, (ii) physics and (iii) biology as separate subjects at (A) GCSE and (B) A-level in each of the last five academic years.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is given in the following tables:
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils in the Skipton and Ripon constituency who were entered for selected subjects in GCSE and A level for the period 2006-10 
			Biology  Chemistry  Physics 
			  Qualification   Number  % (of those at end of KS4or KS5)  Number  % (of those at end of KS4or KS5)  Number  % (of those at end of KS4 or KS5) 
			 GCSE 2006 228 20.5 228 20.5 229 20.6 
			  2007 230 20.1 229 20.0 230 20.1 
			  2008 344 29.2 343 29.1 343 29.1 
			  2009 374 31.5 370 31.1 370 31.1 
			  2010 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 
			 A level 2006 102 14.6 117 16.8 62 8.9 
			  2007 114 15.5 136 18.5 70 9.5 
			  2008 128 16.9 127 16.8 70 9.2 
			  2009 126 15.9 130 16.5 75 9.5 
			  2010 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  Source:  Achievement and Attainment Tables (AATs) 
		
	
	2010 constituency data are not available as school level data have not yet been published.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils in North Yorkshire who were entered for selected subjects in GCSE an d A level for the period 2006- 10( 1) 
			Biology  Chemistry  Physics 
			  Qualification   Number  % (of those at end of KS4or KS5)  Number  % (of those at end of KS4or KS5)  Number  % (of those at end of KS4or KS5) 
			 GCSE 2006 581 7.9 580 7.9 581 7.9 
			  2007 576 7.9 575 7.9 577 7.9 
			  2008 858 11.7 838 11.4 836 11.4 
			  2009 986 14.1 954 13.6 947 13.5 
			  2010(1) 1,269 18.3 1,273 18.3 1,274 18.4 
			 
			 A level 2006 583 16.6 444 12.6 317 9.0 
			  2007 644 17.8 490 13.5 291 8.0 
			  2008 594 16.4 437 12.1 356 9.8 
			  2009 593 15.6 496 13.0 341 8.9 
			  2010(1) 680 17.1 493 12.4 362 9.1 
			  Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables (AATs) 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils in England (maintained sector) who were entered for selected subjects in GCSE and A level for the period 2006-10( 1) 
			Biology  Chemistry  Physics 
			  Qualification   Number  % (of those at end of KS4or KS5)  Number  % (of those at end of KS4or KS5)  Number  % (of those at end of KS4or KS5) 
			 GCSE 2006 35,441 6.0 34,598 5.8 34,281 5.8 
			  2007 38,049 6.4 36,771 6.1 36,598 6.1 
			  2008 58,614 9.8 53,839 9.0 53,309 8.9 
			  2009 72,125 12.5 67,819 11.8 67,713 11.7 
			  2010(1) 99,762 17.3 96,241 16.7 96,220 16.7 
			 
			 A level 2006 37,698 13.6 26,323 9.5 17,928 6.5 
			  2007 38,278 13.6 27,227 9.6 18,464 6.5 
			  2008 39,835 13.5 28,342 9.6 18,925 6.4 
			  2009 39,530 12.5 29,173 9.3 19,824 6.3 
			  2010(1) 43,883 12.6 32,299 9.3 21,646 6.2 
			 (1) 2010 data for North Yorkshire and England are provisional.  Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables (AATs). 
		
	
	The GCSE figures relate to pupils at the end of key stage 4 in maintained schools only.
	The A level figures relate to students at the end of advanced level of study in maintained schools and FE colleges.

Science: GCSE

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils were entered for three separate GCSEs in physics, chemistry and biology in each local authority in 2009.

Nick Gibb: The requested information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of pupils at the end of key stage 4 who were entered for three separate GCSEs in physics, chemistry and biology in each local authority in 2009 
			   2009 
			   Number of pupils entered for GCSEs in physics, chemistry and biology  Number of pupils at the end of key stage 4  Percentage of pupils entered for GCSEs in physics, chemistry and biology 
			 Total (maintained sector) 66,386 576,421 11.5 
			  North East 3,209 30,670 10.5 
			 Darlington 113 1,188 9.5 
			 Durham 256 5,740 4.5 
			 Gateshead 240 2,160 11.1 
			 Hartlepool 51 1,244 4.1 
			 Middlesbrough 187 1,741 10.7% 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 275 2,725 10.1 
			 North Tyneside 231 2,290 10.1 
			 Northumberland 809 3,800 21.3 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 265 1,914 13.8 
			 South Tyneside 137 1,913 7.2 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 157 2,430 6.5 
			 Sunderland 488 3,525 13.8 
			 
			  North West 8,437 83,352 10.1 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 60 1,803 3.3 
			 Blackpool 57 1,648 3.5 
			 Bolton 601 3,611 16.6 
			 Bury 169 2,221 7.6 
			 Cheshire East 479 4,013 11.9 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 454 3,979 11.4 
			 Cumbria 730 6,077 12.0 
			 Halton 120 1,542 7.8 
			 Knowsley 20 1,645 1.2 
			 Lancashire 1,660 13,657 12.2 
			 Liverpool 542 5,357 10.1 
			 Manchester 243 4,685 5.2 
			 Oldham 289 3,036 9.5 
			 Rochdale 20 2,612 0.8 
			 Salford 148 2,347 6.3 
			 Sefton 225 3,537 6.4 
			 St. Helens 114 2,156 5.3 
			 Stockport 346 3,041 11.4 
			 Tameside 215 2,994 7.2 
			 Trafford 576 2,895 19.9 
			 Warrington 271 2,570 10.5 
			 Wigan 264 3,929 6.7 
			 Wirral 834 3,997 20.9 
			 
			  Yorkshire & Humber 6,036 60,857 9.9 
			 Barnsley 148 2,642 5.6 
			 Bradford 386 5,876 6.6 
			 Calderdale 248 2,630 9.4 
			 Doncaster 339 3,681 9.2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 463 4,015 11.5 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 86 2,914 3.0 
			 Kirklees 486 4,708 10.3 
			 Leeds 999 8,272 12.1 
			 North East Lincolnshire 152 1,955 7.8 
			 North Lincolnshire 172 2,030 8.5 
			 North Yorkshire 940 6,990 13.4 
			 Rotherham 376 3,676 10.2 
			 Sheffield 687 5,740 12.0 
			 Wakefield 363 4,014 9.0 
			 York 191 1,714 11.1 
			 
			  East Midlands 6,028 51,663 11.7 
			 Derby 350 2,862 12.2 
			 Derbyshire 994 8,909 11.2 
			 Leicester 255 3,496 7.3 
			 Leicestershire 829 7,391 11.2 
			 Lincolnshire 1,185 8,473 14.0 
			 Northamptonshire 1,122 8,027 14.0 
			 Nottingham 214 2,788 7.7 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,011 9,243 10.9 
			 Rutland 68 474 14.3 
			 
			  West Midlands 6,683 64,883 10.3 
			 Birmingham 1,617 12,292 13.2 
			 Coventry 163 3,534 4.6 
			 Dudley 162 3,965 4.1 
			 Herefordshire 214 1,920 11.1 
			 Sandwell 122 3,615 3.4 
			 Shropshire 230 3,214 7.2 
			 Solihull 403 3,074 13.1 
			 Staffordshire 1,112 9,853 11.3 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 260 2,720 9.6 
			 Telford and Wrekin 316 2,115 14.9 
			 Walsall 460 3,710 12.4 
			 Warwickshire 927 5,942 15.6 
			 Wolverhampton 267 2,742 9.7 
			 Worcestershire 430 6,187 7.0 
			 
			  East of England 8,334 65,171 12.8 
			 Bedford 174 1,859 9.4 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,118 5,843 19.1 
			 Central Bedfordshire 263 2,867 9.2 
			 Essex 2,322 16,136 14.4 
			 Hertfordshire 1,957 13,000 15.1 
			 Luton 169 2,410 7.0 
			 Norfolk 860 8,922 9.6 
			 Peterborough 264 2,287 11.5 
			 Southend-on-Sea 245 2,203 11.1 
			 Suffolk 850 7,772 10.9 
			 Thurrock 112 1,872 6.0 
			 
			  London 27,659 219,825 12.6 
			  Inner London 2,293 22,960 10.0 
			 Camden 157 1,442 10.9 
			 Hackney 83 1,346 6.2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 198 1,051 18.8 
			 Haringey 249 2,160 11.5 
			 Islington 33 1,414 2.3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 569 0.0 
			 Lambeth 228 1,560 14.6 
			 Lewisham 282 2,136 13.2 
			 Newham 111 3,401 3.3 
			 Southwark 191 2,366 8.1 
			 Tower Hamlets 246 2,353 10.5 
			 Wandsworth 431 1,854 23.2 
			 Westminster 84 1,308 6.4 
			 
			  Outer London 6,010 50,761 11.8 
			 Barking and Dagenham 176 2,044 8.6 
			 Barnet 392 3,236 12.1 
			 Bexley 385 3,187 12.1 
			 Brent 449 2,793 16.1 
			 Bromley 535 3,509 15.2 
			 Croydon 269 3,651 7.4 
			 Ealing 276 2,793 9.9 
			 Enfield 249 3,622 6.9 
			 Greenwich 130 2,415 5.4 
			 Harrow 212 2,155 9.8 
			 Havering 179 3,024 5.9 
			 Hillingdon 359 2,919 12.3 
			 Hounslow 234 2,542 9.2 
			 Kingston upon Thames 333 1,487 22.4 
			 Merton 197 1,561 12.6 
			 Redbridge 512 3,241 15.8 
			 Richmond upon Thames 195 1,407 13.9 
			 Sutton 826 2,595 31.8 
			 Waltham Forest 102 2,580 4.0 
			 
			  South East 12,344 89,497 13.8 
			 Bracknell Forest 62 1,112 5.6 
			 Brighton and Hove 124 2,289 5.4 
			 Buckinghamshire 1,523 5,584 27.3 
			 East Sussex 753 5,197 14.5 
			 Hampshire 1,917 14,084 13.6 
			 Isle of Wight 187 1,513 12.4 
			 Kent 2,605 16,698 15.6 
			 Medway 318 3,385 9.4 
			 Milton Keynes 276 2,642 10.4 
			 Oxfordshire 754 6,309 12.0 
			 Portsmouth 128 1,993 6.4 
			 Reading 252 958 26.3 
			 Slough 191 1,488 12.8 
			 Southampton 177 2,257 7.8 
			 Surrey 1,516 10,511 14.4 
			 West Berkshire 236 2,000 11.8 
			 West Sussex 767 8,230 9.3 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 313 1,542 20.3 
			 Wokingham 245 1,705 14.4 
			 
			  South West 7,012 56,607 12.4 
			 Isles of Scilly (1)- 15 (1)- 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 342 2,172 15.7 
			 Bournemouth 346 1,780 19.4 
			 Bristol, City of 304 3,131 9.7 
			 Cornwall 682 5,987 11.4 
			 Devon 743 7,704 9.6 
			 Dorset 746 4,366 17.1 
			 Gloucestershire 1,134 6,882 16.5 
			 North Somerset 260 2,265 11.5 
			 Plymouth 332 2,966 11.2 
			 Poole 329 1,684 19.5 
			 Somerset 445 5,688 7.8 
			 South Gloucestershire 425 3,107 13.7 
			 Swindon 180 2,259 8.0 
			 Torbay (1)- 1,518 (1)- 
			 Wiltshire 739 5,083 14.5 
			 (1 )Figures suppressed due to small numbers.

Specialised Diplomas

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's policy is on the 14 to 19 diploma.

Nick Gibb: We are firmly committed to freeing schools and colleges from centralised control and reducing bureaucratic burdens. We have already made a number of changes to make it easier to offer the Diploma-removing the entitlement, removing the requirement for schools and colleges to be in consortia and removing the need for schools and colleges to go through the time-consuming Diploma Gateway process.
	Working with Ofqual and the awarding organisations, we are now planning to reform the Diploma further to make it simpler to teach and award so that it can take its place alongside other qualifications, without the need for additional support. This is part of our commitment to improve vocational education, and we will consider any decision on the reform of the Diploma in the light of Professor Wolf's review of vocational education, which we expect in the spring.

Specialist Schools

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has for future funding of specialist schools.

Nick Gibb: Funding for specialist schools, including for High Performing Specialist Schools (HPSS), will be mainstreamed from April 2011. This funding, approximately £450 million for 2010-11, is not being removed from the schools system and will continue to be routed to schools through the Dedicated Schools Grant. All schools will be free to decide how to develop specialisms in the light of the total resources available to them.

Technology: Teachers

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of  (a) specialist technology teachers and  (b) primary class teachers with technology training.

Nick Gibb: The Department has several strategies in place to increase the number of specialist design and technology teachers. Training bursaries of £9,000 are available to people taking up postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) places for design and technology as this is one of the shortage subjects. In addition, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) are funded to train 400 existing teachers by March 2011 in teaching practical cooking within the design and technology curriculum. Many of these teachers are not existing design and technology teachers.
	The Department also funds continuing professional development for secondary design and technology teachers to improve their subject specific knowledge and keep them up to date with latest developments.
	The latest vacancy rate for design and technology posts (at 0.4%) is slightly below the rate for all subjects (at 0.5%) in 2010. A snapshot in 2010 showed that there were 50 advertised vacancies for full-time design and technology permanent appointments or appointments of at least one term's duration.
	We do not collect information centrally on the number of primary class teachers with technology training.

Travellers: Education

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has of the number of children in Gypsy, Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage communities who are not in full-time education; and what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that all children in such communities receive full-time education.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 19 November 2010
	We do not have information about the number of children who are not in full-time education.
	Local authorities in England and Wales have had, since February 2007, a statutory duty to make arrangements to identify all children missing from education in their area. The duty applies in relation to children of compulsory school age who are not on a school roll, and who are not receiving a suitable education otherwise than being at school (for example, being educated at home, privately educated or in alternative provision).
	It is important that schools and local authorities implement the systems and regulations and follow the guidance in place around keeping registers, excluding pupils and removing pupils from the school roll. Schools must fulfil their requirement to inform local authorities when pupils are deleted from the school roll or have "disappeared" following 10 days unauthorised absence from the school. Notifying the local authority is important because the local authority can then attempt to trace the children and ensure that any pupils that are removed from the roll of a school are receiving a suitable education.

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department and its predecessors spent on wine in each year since 1997.

Tim Loughton: The accounting systems of the Department and its predecessors do not record information separately on this type of expenditure and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Any expenditure on wine is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Work Experience

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department plans to review its policy on work experience provision for secondary school students.

Nick Gibb: We currently have no plans to review the policy on work experience provision for secondary school students.

Youth Services: Manpower

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Joint Negotiating Committee-qualified full-time youth workers are employed in each local authority.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education does not collect this data. However, the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) published an audit of the workforce in December 2009 and this includes some national level estimates of the numbers of youth and community workers. The report is available on CWDC's website at:
	http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/young-peoples-workforce/state-of-the-young-peoples-workforce-report

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the rules in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme which make provision for allowances to be retained during temporary closure or pending rationalisation in taking account of changes in the economic situation in respect of  (a) trading and  (b) availability of finance.

Gregory Barker: The temporary closure and rationalisation rules of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) are intended to incentivise industry to maintain production at their most efficient installations. The provision to retain full allocation during periods where a company is rationalising production or temporally shutting down production provides flexibility for companies to move their allocation to the sites that are still at full production in order to meet their compliance needs. Companies can also sell their allowances in order to raise finance in response to the economic situation.
	The EU ETS Directive was amended in 2009 for phase III (which runs from 2013-20). The rules for closures are currently being discussed in Europe, but there will be rules which cover significant capacity reductions, partial and full cessation of activities to ensure that installations do not benefit from continued free allocation when they are not carrying out an EU ETS activity.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the effects of sustainable bioliquids in providing renewable heat under the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Charles Hendry: As part of the spending review process we have looked at the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme to target the scheme more effectively. The details of the scheme, including decisions on sustainable waste derived bioliquids, will be announced shortly.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will assess methods by which sustainable waste derived bioliquids could be included in  (a) the renewable heat incentive scheme and  (b) feed-in tariffs grandfathered under the renewables obligation.

Charles Hendry: The Department is responsible for three renewable financial incentives: the renewable heat incentive (RHI), the feed in tariff (FIT) for small scale electricity and the renewables obligation (RO) for large scale electricity. Taking each of these incentives in turn, the position of sustainable waste derived bioliquids is as follows:
	 (a) Renewable heat incentive
	The details of the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme, including decisions on sustainable waste derived bioliquids, will be announced shortly.
	 (b) Feed-in tariffs
	The FITs scheme will be subject to periodic review which will include consideration of the eligibility of different technologies. We are continually collecting data which, as we learn more, will be fed into the review process.
	 (c) Renewables obligation (RO)
	Bioliquids are currently supported in the RO but are not grandfathered. We recognise there are potential benefits from grandfathering some waste derived bioliquids and are considering how we might do this. This is being fed into the work currently under way on the RO banding review.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Children

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the NATO Civilian Representative in Afghanistan on the Representative's assessment of the safety of children in  (a) Kabul and  (b) London.

Alistair Burt: I have not discussed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) senior civilian representative's assessment of the situation of children in Kabul and London with him. The situations in London and Kabul are very different. While we are making progress in Afghanistan and Kabul has seen a reduction in crime and violent incidents, clearly there is more work to be done to ensure progress continues in improving the security environment for all Afghans, including children.

Afghanistan: Christianity

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the treatment of Christians in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of recent reports concerning Christian converts from Islam. Our embassy in Kabul is monitoring these events closely.
	The Government strongly support the right to freedom of religion or belief. We are working to support all individuals who face discrimination and persecution on the basis of religion, including Christians, wherever they are in the world. Article Two of the Afghan constitution provides for freedom of religion, and we expect the Afghan Government to fully implement this. The international community have a regular dialogue with the Afghan Government on human rights, including on the need to ensure the security of all Afghans, regardless of religion.

Afghanistan: Police

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how many Afghan National Police officers have been recruited in 2010;
	(2)  how many Afghan National Police officers recruited in 2010 have left that police force;
	(3)  what his most recent estimate is of the number of officers in the Afghan National Police.

William Hague: An estimated 31,343 Afghan National Police (ANP) officers have been recruited by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Training Mission Afghanistan (NTM-A) between January and October 2010. ANP attrition has been decreasing over time and is currently at approximately 18% per annum, with monthly attrition at 1.5%. There are no specific data available on the number of ANP officers who were recruited in 2010 and have subsequently left the force. The total strength of the Afghan National Police (ANP) stood at 116,367 in October 2010. The growth target of 109,000 by October 2010 has been exceeded, and a number of initiatives to encourage more effective recruitment have been implemented, including tripling the number of recruiters, setting up a Recruiting Command and setting up mobile sub-recruiting stations.

Auschwitz Restoration Project

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to provide funding to the Auschwitz restoration project.

Henry Bellingham: The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation has been speaking to a number of countries and a significant amount has already been pledged. The Government support the long term preservation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and other historic sites. Ministers are currently considering how support might be offered and intend to make a decision shortly.

Bahrain: Foreign Relations

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to mark the 40th anniversary of the UK-Bahrain Treaty of Friendship.

Alistair Burt: The 40th anniversary of the 1971 Treaty of Friendship will be an important milestone in our bilateral relationship with Bahrain. We look forward to celebrating the anniversary together, both in the UK and in Bahrain. In the context of the Gulf Initiative and the launch of the UK-Bahrain Joint Steering Committee, our Ministers will be keen to contribute to celebrations.

Cayman Islands: Genetically Modified Organisms

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department  (a) had discussions with Oxitec prior to and  (b) holds information on the (i) consent procedures in place for and (ii) environmental impact assessment of the experimental release of genetically-modified mosquitoes in Grand Cayman in 2009 and 2010.

Henry Bellingham: Responsibility for environmental affairs is devolved to the Government of the Cayman Islands. My Department did not therefore have discussions with the parties concerned.
	However, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) in Grand Cayman has confirmed that it is working in collaboration with Oxitec; that it provided a risk analysis and an environmental impact assessment; and that it complied with regulatory procedures provided for in local legislation.
	Further information can be obtained from the Director of the MRCU, Dr William D Petrie, who can be contacted at:
	william.petrie@gov.ky.

Cayman Islands: Genetically Modified Organisms

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department was notified prior to  (a) shipments by Oxitec of genetically-modified mosquito eggs to Grand Cayman for use and  (b) the release of such mosquitos in experimental trials in 2009 and 2010.

Henry Bellingham: Responsibility for environmental matters is devolved to the Government of the Cayman Islands. My Department was not therefore notified in advance of the shipments of genetically-modified mosquito eggs nor the release of such mosquitoes in experimental trials in the Cayman Islands.
	Further information about this subject can be obtained from Dr William D Petrie, Director of the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU), at:
	william.petrie@gov.ky.

Colombia: Homicide

Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2010,  Official Report, column 85W, what information his Department holds on the number of trade unionists assassinated in Colombia in 2010.

David Lidington: The only figures the Department holds on the number of trade unionists killed in 2010 are the official figures referred to in the answer given by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne) to the hon. Member on 8 November 2010,  Official Report, column 85W. Since that answer we have received an update from the Colombian authorities to cover the period from January to October which suggests 25 trade unionists were killed.

Colombia: Homicide

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Colombian government on the recent killing of Elizabeth Silva Aguilar.

David Lidington: We have not to date made any representations to the Colombian Government over the killing of Elizabeth Silva Aguilar since there remains some uncertainty about the facts.
	Our embassy in Bogota is aware of this case and will raise the matter with the Colombian authorities should it prove necessary.

Colombia: Homicide

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of military involvement in the deaths of children in Caqueta province, Colombia.

David Lidington: On 5 November 2010 a three-year-old boy was allegedly shot dead during a confrontation between the Colombian Army and guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The Colombian Minister for Defence, Rodrigo Rivera, issued a statement regretting the child's death and confirmed that the incident was being investigated by both the Attorney-General's Office and the armed forces.

Colombia: Military Aid

Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2010,  Official Report, column 913W, whether the dismissed military personnel had previously participated in British military or counternarcotics assistance programmes in Colombia;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2010,  Official Report, column 84W, whether those Colombian soldiers accused of involvement in drug trafficking, extrajudicial killings and working with illegal paramilitary groups had previously participated in British military or counternarcotics assistance programmes to Colombia.

Jeremy Browne: Our counter-narcotics work in Colombia is scrupulously monitored to ensure it cannot contribute to any human rights abuses. We do not discuss the detail of this narcotics work publicly as doing so risks putting UK and Colombian lives in danger.

Departmental Allowances

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how long on average he spends managing expenses and allowances claims; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Parliamentary Office manage the expenses of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague). Management of these expenses does not require a significant amount of the Foreign Secretary's time.

Departmental Grants

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what grants his Department has awarded in 2010-11 to date; what grants he plans to award in each of the next two years; what the monetary value is of each such grant; and to which organisations such grants are to be made;
	(2)  what the monetary value was of grants awarded by his Department in 2009-10; and how much his Department plans to award in such grants in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has provided the following grant in aid funding to the BBC World Service, British Council, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), the Great Britain China Centre (GBCC) and the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission (MACC).
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2009-10  2010-11 
			 BBC World Service 268 262.5 
			 British Council 200.8 188 
			 WFD 4.1 3.4 
			 GBCC 0.3 0.27 
			 MACC 2.2 2.2 
		
	
	These are by far the greatest beneficiaries of FCO grants. Smaller grants have also been made to project implementers and other organisations around the world to help deliver UK foreign policy objectives. Budgets in the FCO are devolved to over 260 posts and details of these payments are not held centrally. As a result, this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	In 2011-12, the FCO will be making the following grant in aid funding to the BBC World Service and British Council:
	
		
			  2011-12  £ million 
			 BBC World Service 253 
			 British Council 180 
		
	
	Other allocations for 2011-12 and beyond are still to be decided in the light of the recent spending round settlement.

Departmental Lobbying

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent from the public purse on influencing public policy through  (a) employing external (i) public affairs companies, (ii) strategic consultancies and (iii) corporate communications firms,  (b) external marketing and  (c) other activities in each of the last 10 years.

Alistair Burt: We have no record of any expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's agencies and non-departmental public bodies on influencing UK public policy, which we understand to mean lobbying.

Departmental Lobbying

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of his Department's non-departmental public bodies have undertaken activities to influence public policy for which they engaged  (a) public affairs and  (b) public relations consultants in each year since 1997; and at what monetary cost in each such year.

Alistair Burt: We have no record of any of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's non-departmental public bodies having engaged public affairs or public relations consultants to influence public policy, which we understand to mean lobbying.

Government Hospitality: Wines

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse has been of  (a) red wine,  (b) white wine,  (c) champagne and  (d) fortified wine purchased for the Government wine cellar since his appointment.

Henry Bellingham: Government Hospitality buys wines when they are relatively less expensive, and stores them until they are ready to use. Government Hospitality has spent £25,043 on new stock for the cellar since May 2010, all of which has been on white wine only.

Guatemala

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Minister of State with responsibilities for Latin America plans to meet representatives of Peace Brigades International during his visit to Guatemala.

Jeremy Browne: One of the UK's top priorities in Guatemala is to support good governance and human rights which are essential to improving the deteriorating security situation in the country. During my visit to Guatemala I met with civil society organisations and young leaders-including young indigenous women-during an event to promote a national campaign against domestic violence which the UK is actively supporting.
	I did not have a separate meeting with representatives of Peace Brigades International in Guatemala on this occasion, but I did raise human rights issues with the Guatemalan Government and I am aware of the work Peace Brigades International does in Guatemala and around the world.

Guatemala: Ethnic Groups

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether the Minister of State with responsibilities for Latin America plans to raise the matter of consultation with indigenous communities on major development projects during his visit to Guatemala;
	(2)  whether the Minister of State with responsibilities for Latin America plans to raise the matter of the effects of major development projects on indigenous communities during his visit to Guatemala.

Jeremy Browne: One of the UK's top priorities in Guatemala is to support good governance and human rights which are essential to improving the deteriorating security situation in the country. During my short visit to Guatemala I raised human rights and our concern about the death penalty, the importance of tacking violence and organised crime as well as the impact of climate change with the Guatemalan Government. I also met civil society organisations and young leaders-including young indigenous women-during an event to promote a national campaign against domestic violence which the UK is actively supporting.
	Our embassy in Guatemala City and officials in London will continue to maintain a dialogue with both the Guatemalan Government and civil society groups on the human rights of the indigenous communities of Guatemala.

Israel: Borders

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the effectiveness of the Security Fence in Israel in reducing the number of  (a) suicide bombings and  (b) other terrorist incidences in the State of Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: There are no reliable statistics on the effectiveness of Israel's security barrier, which was commissioned following the 2nd intifada of 2000. Although we believe Israel has every right to defend itself, we believe that barriers are not the best way to achieve this in the 21st century. Where it is constructed outside of Green Line Israel, the Israeli separation barrier is illegal both according to international and Israeli law. It is worth noting that the barrier on some 40% of the intended route remains unbuilt. We judge that Prime Minister Fayyad's reform of the Palestinian security sector has played the most significant part in reducing the violence committed by Palestinian groups against targets in Israel. The best way of ensuring Israel's security is to come to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace agreement with its neighbours.

Israel: Foreign Relations

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what bilateral  (a) agreements and  (b) programmes exist between the UK and Israeli governments.

Alistair Burt: The UK-Israel bilateral relationship is based on deep connections between our two countries. From the Balfour Declaration to the recent bilateral film treaty, our relationship has a rich heritage, embracing a wide range of activities over many years. The UK and Israel share a long history of agreement and cooperation across political, economic, scientific, commercial and cultural areas both bilaterally and multilaterally. You can find details of UK Israel-agreements at the website of our embassy in Israel
	http://ukinisrael.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/working-with-israel/uk-israel-relations/.
	The underlying objective of any of our programmes in Israel is to enrich the friendship between our two nations and to support efforts to achieve a two-state solution, that will see a viable Palestinian state existing in peace and security alongside Israel.

Kashmir

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in India and Pakistan on the future of Kashmir; and what recent reports he has received on progress towards self-determination for the people of Kashmir.

Alistair Burt: Officials in our high commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi regularly discuss India-Pakistan relations, including Kashmir, with their counterparts. However the long standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, one which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to mediate in finding one. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated this in the Foreign Affairs debate on 27 May 2010 and during his visit to Pakistan in June.
	We continue to call for an improvement in the human rights situation on both sides of the line of control and for an end to external support for violence in Kashmir. UK funding supports human rights, conflict prevention and peace building efforts on both sides of the line of control.

MI6: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the budget was of the Secret Intelligence Service in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10; and what his latest estimate is of that budget for 2010-11.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 19 November 2020
	 For national security reasons, details of individual intelligence agency budgets are not disclosed. The Secret Intelligence Service is funded through the Single Intelligence Account (SIA), along with the Security Service and Government Communications Headquarters.
	The SIA actual spend (as per the published financial statements) for 2005-06 was £1.2 billion resource and £0.2 billion capital, for 2008-09 it was £1.6 billion resource and £0.3 billion capital and for 2009-10 it was £1.8 billion resource and £0.3 billion capital.
	The SIA budget for 2010-11 is £1.7 billion resource and £0.3 billion capital as set out in the spending review 2010.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the extent of arms smuggling into Gaza; what discussions he has had with the government of  (a) Israel and  (b) Egypt on this issue since September 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Despite the efforts of Israel, Egypt and the international community, weapons continue to be smuggled into Gaza, which is a cause of great concern. We continue to work with the international community to support all efforts to implement the steps set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1860 of January 2009, including the prevention and interdiction of illicitly trafficked arms into Gaza and the alleviation of the humanitarian and economic situation.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to bring about the release of Gilad Shalit; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary recently met with Gilad Shalit's family while on his visit to the region, making clear that we continue to call for Hamas to unconditionally release Gilad Shalit and that we consider it utterly unacceptable that he is denied International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made the following statement on 25 June, the fourth anniversary of Shalit's capture:
	"Today marks the fourth anniversary of the abduction of Israeli soldier, Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit. My thoughts are with Gilad's parents today. I sincerely hope that they will soon be able to welcome their son home.
	The UK has long called for Gilad Shalit's immediate and unconditional release and we reiterate that call today. It is also vital that Hamas allows the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit Gilad immediately and ensure that he is in good health. His continued captivity without any ICRC access and with only very occasional, minimal contact with his family is utterly unacceptable. We continue to call on Hamas to renounce violence and take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles and to free Gilad Shalit without delay."

Religious Freedom

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have used his Department's toolkit advising on the promotion and protection of religion or belief internationally; and what assessment he has made of its effectiveness.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's freedom of religion or belief toolkit has been circulated to all the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's overseas missions. Our posts have been encouraged to use it in their work to promote freedom of religion or belief. The toolkit has also been distributed within the EU and was presented at a public hearing on 'Freedom of religion or belief in the EU's external relations' held in the European Parliament in March this year.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's overseas missions have a responsibility to monitor and raise human rights in their host countries. They do so on a case by case basis and we do not hold this information centrally. In order to answer your question a Foreign and Commonwealth Office wide search would be required and this search would incur disproportionate cost.

Shaker Aamer

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US Secretary of State on a possible timetable for the return of Shaker Aamer to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated the Government's request for the release and return to the UK of Shaker Aamer when he met the US Secretary of State in Washington on 17 November 2010. The decision on Mr Aamer's future lies solely with the US Government. The outcome of our government-to-government discussions is not certain.

Sherif Hassan Abdelwahab

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the government of Egypt on the detention at Cairo airport on 9 November 2010 of Sherif Hassan Abdelwahab Muhammad and the deportation of his wife Emma Hassan.

Alistair Burt: We have been in touch with the EU delegation in Egypt on this issue. The EU delegation intends to raise the case of Mr Sherif Hassan Abdelwahab Muhammad with the Egyptian authorities.
	We are determined to uphold British values abroad and condemn all instances of discrimination, arbitrary detention or persecution against individuals and groups because of their religion or belief. The protection of human rights, including freedom
	of religion, is a central component of Egypt's ongoing dialogue with the European Union.

Spain: Deaths

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Tenerife on the death of Jordan Walchester; what consular assistance has been provided to Mr Walchester's family; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr Hague) has made no representations to the Government of Tenerife on the tragic death of Jordan Walchester in Arona, Tenerife. I was very sorry to learn of Jordan's death and would like to extend my sincere condolences to the Walchester family.
	Consular officials have maintained regular contact with the Walchester family, providing bereavement guidance and information and advice about local procedures and regulations. Consular officials have also been in contact with the local authorities and will continue to monitor the ongoing judicial proceedings into the death of Mr Walchester.

Sri Lanka: Administration of Justice

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made an assessment of the International Commission of Jurists report on administrative detention in Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: The report reinforces our concerns on the lack of humanitarian access to former combatants and the continued lack of clarity over their legal status. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I raised these concerns with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister during his visit to the UK on 19/20 October. Our high commissioner in Colombo also regularly raises these issues with the Sri Lankan Government.
	Since the publication of the International Commission of Jurists report, several thousand detainees have been released. Sri Lanka's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission has also called for a speedy resolution of remaining cases and improved transparency over detainees' whereabouts. But we and the international community continue to have concerns. We hope the Sri Lankan Government will take swift action to address these.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on human rights in Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) and I discussed with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on 19 and 20 October 2010 the importance of improving the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. We emphasised in particular the need for Sri Lanka to demonstrate its commitment towards freedom of speech and to ensure a credible and independent process to address allegations of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law during the conflict. Our high commissioner in Colombo also regularly raises these issues with the Sri Lankan Government.

Taiwan: Climate Change Convention

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the attendance of the Environmental Protection Administration of Taiwan as an observer at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties; and if will he make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: The Government support Taiwan's practical participation in international organisations where this does not require statehood.
	The Government attach importance to engagement with Taiwan on climate change issues and have regular exchanges with the Taiwanese authorities about low carbon development. Taiwan's shift towards a greener economy is gaining momentum and we are actively supporting this transition.

Taiwan: Climate Change Convention

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on Taiwan's participation in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: The Government support Taiwan's practical participation in international organisations where this does not require statehood.
	The Government attach importance to engagement with Taiwan on climate change issues and has regular exchanges with the Taiwanese authorities about low carbon development. Taiwan's shift towards a greener economy is gaining momentum and we are actively supporting this transition.

Uganda: Prisoners

Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made recent representations to the Ugandan Government on the arrest and detention of Al Amin Kimathi.

Henry Bellingham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my noble Friend Lord Howell of Guildford gave to the noble Lord Chidgey on 15 November 2010,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WA172.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the recent UN Security Council briefing on Western Sahara, what mechanisms will be put into place to monitor human rights in El Aauin, Western Sahara.

Alistair Burt: We remain committed to using our presidency of the UN Security Council to encourage both the parties and the Group of Friends to consider a range of options for independent verification of the human rights situation in Western Sahara and identify the international actor or body which is best placed to deliver that function. I intend to discuss both recent violence in Western Sahara and human rights monitoring when I visit Morocco later this month.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the denial of entry into Morocco of two Spanish MPs and one MEP on a visit to El Aauin, Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We have not received any official reports from either the Spanish or Moroccan Ministries of Foreign Affairs. However, we are aware of media reporting of this matter and officials are monitoring the situation closely.

Western Sahara: Violence

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the recent UN Security Council briefing on Western Sahara, what recent assessment he has made of reports of violence in Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council on 16 November 2010 to gather evidence about recent events from Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Atul Khare, and UN envoy to Western Sahara ambassador Christopher Ross. However, due to restrictions on access for international observers, including United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), we are not yet able to make a firm assessment of the situation.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Members: Correspondence

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Torbay of 29 September 2010 on the payment of interns.

Nicholas Clegg: I replied to the correspondence from the hon. Member regarding the payment of interns on 23 November. I apologise for the delay in responding.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Written Questions

Paul Beresford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of questions tabled to the Minister for the Cabinet Office for ordinary written answer  (a) in Session 2009-10 and  (b) since May 2010 were answered within (i) seven days and (ii) 14 days of tabling; how many such questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 remained unanswered by 18 November 2010; and what estimate he has made of the average cost to his Department of answering a question for ordinary written answer within seven days of tabling in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of questions tabled  (a) to the Minister for the Cabinet Office and  (b) the Prime Minister for written answer on a named day were answered substantively before or on the day named for answer (i) in Session 2009-10 and (ii) since May 2010; how many such questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 had not received a substantive answer by 18 November 2010; and what estimate he has made of the average cost to his Department of answering a question for written answer on a named day on the day named for answer in the latest period for which figures are available.

Francis Maude: This Session, in the period specified the Cabinet Office has received 585 ordinary written questions. In respect of those questions 501 (86%) were answered within five sitting days; 73 (12%) were answered after five sitting days and 11 remain unanswered.
	In the same period the Cabinet Office received 142 named day questions. In respect of those questions 117 (82%) were answered on the specified date, 22 (15%) were answered after the specified date and three questions remain unanswered.
	The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with Sessional statistics in a standard format on the time taken to respond to written parliamentary questions for the 2009-10 Session. This information will be submitted to the Procedure Committee shortly.
	The Cabinet Office does not hold data relating to the cost of parliamentary questions. However HM Treasury conducts an annual indexation exercise of the cost of written and oral parliamentary questions so as to ensure that these average costs are increased in line with increases in underlying costs. The estimated costs that have applied from 20 January 2010 are:
	Written question-£154
	Oral question-£425
	The disproportionate cost threshold (DCT), the level above which Departments can refuse to answer a written PQ is £800.
	The Treasury, in making its assessment of the cost of answering questions, does not differentiate between the types of written questions.

IPSA: Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

John Stanley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will bring the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority within the statutory remit of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.

Francis Maude: The remit of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Parliamentary Ombudsman) is updated annually. As part of this exercise, consideration is given to whether bodies established in year should be brought within the Parliamentary Ombudsman's remit.

NDPBs: Finance

John Pugh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he takes to encourage arms-length bodies and non-departmental public bodies to  (a) improve their cash management and  (b) increase the level of funds deposited with the Exchequer for the purpose of reducing interest on Government debt.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	The Treasury co-ordinates departmental cashflow information so it can provide the Debt Management Office (DMO) with the best possible estimate of the Government's net cash position at the end of the day, so that the DMO can borrow or lend the expected shortfall or surplus. The Treasury works with Departments to improve forecasting performance and to minimise commercial balances.
	Government Departments submit cashflow forecasts including data relating to public bodies they are responsible for to the Treasury. The Treasury applies financial charges or rebates at the end of the year depending on departmental performance. Individual Departments are responsible for ensuring all their public bodies provide them with the necessary data so that the Treasury can provide accurate forecasts to the DMO.
	Treasury guidance contained in "Managing Public Money" states that all public bodies should minimise commercial balances. Individual Departments are responsible for ensuring the public bodies follow this guidance.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

London Olympics: Sporting Legacy

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to secure a sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: I asked Sport England to develop their £135 million Places People Play strategy which, along with the investment in the Olympic Park, will mean a new generation of iconic facilities; protection for our local playing fields; and the Gold Challenge will both raise money for charity and get people playing more Olympic sports. The School Olympic style competition will get competitive sport back in our schools. All of this is supported by protecting the Whole Sport Plan and elite athlete funding in the spending review.

Creative Industries: Scotland

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the creative industries in Scotland of his decision not to grant Scottish Television independent producer status.

Edward Vaizey: The Department undertook an impact assessment as part of the public consultation on the potential reclassification of production companies owned by Channel 3 licence holders. This was published on the departmental website as part of the consultation:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/consultations/6415.aspx

Arts

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what financial assistance his Department provides to arts organisations visiting the UK; and what UK-based organisations have received assistance from his Department and its agencies for overseas visits under reciprocal arrangements.

Edward Vaizey: The Department does not provide direct funding for arts organisations visiting the UK or to British based organisations visiting overseas. All arts funding is allocated through Arts Council England (ACE). ACE have supplied the information in the table, showing arts organisations abroad who have been allocated money in 2009-10, where there have been substantial benefits for English artists and audiences:
	
		
			  Name of applicant/organisation  Amount awarded (£) 
			 Agnieszka Kurant 1,500.00 
			 Bildmuseet, Umea University 5,000.00 
			 Carsten Nicolai 15,000.00 
			 Foundation 4.99 2,400.00 
			 International Association for the Biennial of Young Artists of Europe and Mediterranean 75,000.00 
			 Linda Tedsdotter 3,300.00 
			 Olaf Brzeski 1,330.00 
			 Orpheus Di Andrea Marini (artist management organisation) 42,935.00 
			 Simon H. Fell 1,290.00 
		
	
	Additionally, under reciprocal arrangements, ACE funded outside UK-based 'Shademakers' £56,903 in 2009-10. This collaboration and co-organisation works between Germany and London to deliver carnival work to UK audiences at places including the Notting Hill Carnival. They collaborated with artists with an EU remit, their activities mainly focused in London and Liverpool.

Arts Council: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment of the economic effects of the reduction in lending for the arts sector proposed in the comprehensive spending review funding of organisations in Greater London which are funded by the Arts Council.

Edward Vaizey: Arts Council England (ACE) allocates Government funding as grants, and does not lend funds. As part of the spending review, the Department will be reducing its own administrative budget by 50% and has asked a number of its arm's length bodies, including ACE, to do the same. At a difficult time our aim has been to ensure that the maximum amount of funding is spent at the front line, rather than on bureaucracy. We had regular discussions with those arm's length bodies during the spending review and those discussions continue. We are confident that in cutting administration in order to limit cuts to the front line, arts organisations across the country, including those in Greater London, will continue to thrive.

Arts Council: Finance

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment in respect of the economic effects on the arts sector of the reduction in funding resulting from the outcomes of the Comprehensive Spending Review for organisations funded by the Arts Council in the East of England; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: As part of the spending review, the Department will be reducing its own administrative budget by 50% and has asked a number of its arm's length bodies to do the same. At a difficult time our aim has been to ensure that the maximum amount of funding is spent at the front line, rather than on bureaucracy. We had regular discussions with those arm's length bodies during the spending review and those discussions continue. We are confident that in cutting administration in order to limit cuts to the front line, arts organisations across the country, including those in the eastern region, will continue to thrive.

Arts: Finance

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the change in the level of his Department's funding for each arts sector in each region in each of the last five years.

Edward Vaizey: The Department's funding for the arts is awarded through Arts Council England (ACE) at arm's length from Government. ACE has supplied in the table the estimated change in levels of funding for each artform in each region for the last five years.
	
		
			Estimated changes in amounts awarded (%) 
			  Region  Artform  From financial year 2005-06 to financial year 2006-07  From financial year 2006-07 to financial year 2007-08  From financial year 2007-08 to financial year 2008-09  From financial year 2008-09 to financial year 2009-10 
			  East Combined arts 63 -18 15 36 
			  Dance 40 -30 31 13 
			  Literature 93 -46 25 -25 
			  Music -18 -6 32 7 
			  Not art form specific 0 -75 -8 -65 
			  Theatre 19 -4 -1 2 
			  Visual arts 7 -30 23 45 
			 Total  17 -21 15 14 
			   
			  East Midlands Combined arts 19 -43 -10 53 
			  Dance 50 -13 -22 46 
			  Literature 7 -67 170 -22 
			  Music 23 -23 0 -12 
			  Not art form specific 36 107 21 -56 
			  Theatre -4 -1 0 46 
			  Visual arts -4 -3 38 21 
			 Total  8 -15 8 28 
			   
			  London Combined arts 6 -2 3 7 
			  Dance -2 -4 0 14 
			  Literature 36 -27 19 13 
			  Music 5 -2 2 22 
			  Not art form specific -2 4 -29 -3 
			  Not known -59 -100 0 0 
			  Theatre 4 0 3 14 
			  Visual arts -2 -2 -4 24 
			  Music 0 0 0 0 
			 Total  3 -2 1 14 
			   
			  North East Combined arts 57 -23 50 28 
			  Dance 19 15 -25 5 
			  Literature -19 5 -10 26 
			  Music 17 0 3 -3 
			  Not art form specific 1 0 -13 243 
			  Not known -58 -100 0 0 
			  Theatre 6 -7 0 54 
			  Visual arts 19 -8 12 12 
			 Total  12 -6 5 33 
			   
			  North West Combined arts 5 -40 9 12 
			  Dance 7 -14 -14 11 
			  Literature 2 -15 -23 16 
			  Music -11 1 5 43 
			  Not art form specific 130 -56 -26 9 
			  Theatre 4 -11 0 23 
			  Visual arts 1 -12 -5 38 
			 Total  8 -20 -2 27 
			   
			  South East Combined arts 32 -7 17 -5 
			  Dance 8 -15 -7 32 
			  Literature 15 -36 27 20 
			  Music 14 -8 -1 41 
			  Not art form specific 40 -66 29 -23 
			  Theatre 11 -5 -18 48 
			  Visual arts 3 8 -22 37 
			 Total  14 -9 -8 28 
			   
			  South West Combined arts 36 -30 -7 65 
			  Dance 16 -23 -6 19 
			  Literature -20 -24 -26 106 
			  Music 6 -8 0 25 
			  Not art form specific -21 42 -9 12 
			  Theatre -3 -9 17 23 
			  Visual arts 9 -9 -8 30 
			 Total  6 -12 1 31 
			   
			  West Midlands Combined arts 14 -11 0 28 
			  Dance 7 1 -2 13 
			  Literature 3 -26 -32 43 
			  Music 13 -6 0 15 
			  Not art form specific 73 -53 -3 -9 
			  Theatre 5 -1 2 5 
			  Visual arts 2 -15 13 7 
			 Total  9 -7 1 10 
			   
			  Yorkshire and The Humber Combined arts 31 -16 16 24 
			  Dance -5 -1 5 19 
			  Literature 46 -23 -16 26 
			  Music 10 -3 2 15 
			  Not art form specific 90 -64 53 20 
			  Theatre 5 -11 5 14 
			  Visual arts 13 -15 10 44 
			 Total  11 -11 6 20

Broadcasting: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2010,  Official Report, column 132W, on broadcasting: Scotland, for what reasons he rejected the recommendations of Ofcom in respect of the award of qualified independent producer status to Scottish Television.

Edward Vaizey: The recommendation from the Digital Britain White Paper is not being taken forward because, on balance, the potential benefits of implementing the proposal do not outweigh the likely negative effects, particularly on the existing Scottish independent production sector.

Departmental Degrees

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 26 July 2010,  Official Report, column 604W, on Departmental degrees, what information his Department records on the qualifications and expertise of its staff.

John Penrose: At present the Department does not systematically store this information, although recent IT upgrades should enable us to do so in the future. Currently there is no requirement to hold information relating to staff qualifications or expertise on their personal files unless the member of staff has been recruited into a specialist position. Some staff files will contain this information, but to extract the information manually would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of questions tabled to the Secretary of State for written answer on a named day were answered substantively before or on the day named for answer  (a) in Session 2009-10 and  (b) since May 2010; how many such questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 had not received a substantive answer by 18 November 2010; and what estimate he has made of the average cost to his Department of answering a question for written answer on a named day on the day named for answer in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Penrose: From May 2010 to 12 November 2010, 79 (73.1%) of the questions tabled to the Department for answer on a named day were answered on time. Named day questions cannot be answered before the named day given by the Member.
	All named day questions tabled to the Department for answer by 18 November have received a substantive answer.
	The Government have agreed a process with the House (through the Procedure Committee) that detailed information on 2009-10 performance will be provided to the Committee shortly.
	The Department do not record the costs incurred by answering a named day parliamentary question. We do however apply a cost limit of £800 when providing each answer.

Departmental Written Questions

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of questions tabled to the Secretary of State for ordinary written answer  (a) in Session 2009-10 and  (b) since May 2010 were answered within (i) seven days and (ii) 14 days of tabling; how many such questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 remained unanswered by 18 November 2010; and what estimate he has made of the average cost to his Department of answering a question for ordinary written answer within seven days of tabling in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Penrose: From May 2010 to 12 November 2010, 444 (82.4%) of the questions tabled to the Department for ordinary written answer were answered within seven days of tabling and 95 (17.62%) were answered within 14 days of tabling.
	All ordinary written questions tabled to the Department for answer by 18 November have been answered.
	The Government have agreed a process with the House (through the Procedure Committee) that detailed information on 2009-10 performance will be provided to the Committee shortly.
	The Department do not record the costs incurred by answering an ordinary written parliamentary question. We do however apply a cost limit of £800 when providing each answer.

Olympic Games 2012

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent estimate he has made of the likely sale price of a post-conversion  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) three-bedroom flat in the Olympic Village.

Hugh Robertson: While assumptions have been made regarding the overall potential income from sales, it is not possible, at this time, to estimate accurately the likely sale price of individual homes in the Olympic Village. The price of residential units will be dependent on the state of the housing market at the time of sale.

Olympic Games 2012: Employment

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of residents of Newham employed as a direct result of the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) target is for the Olympic Park construction workforce to be comprised of at least 10-15% of people resident in the five host boroughs, including Newham. Employment figures for the Olympic Park workforce since 2008 show that the host borough workforce has ranged between 18-28%, consistently exceeding the set target. The last reported figures show that during September 2010 6,243 people were working on the Olympic Park. Of these, 484 people were resident in the borough of Newham.
	The ODA has recorded cumulative figures on the Olympic Park since April 2008 and on the Olympic Village since April 2010. These show that during these periods 26,930 people have worked on the Olympic Park and/or Olympic Village for five days or more. Of these, 1,909 have been resident in the borough of Newham.
	Residents of the host boroughs have benefited from priority access to training and vacancies on the Olympic Park, with vacancies offered exclusively and equally to each of the five host borough employment brokerages and Jobcentre Plus (JCP) offices in the area for a period of 48 hours.

Radio Frequencies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will re-issue those licences for radio frequencies held by the parent company of Heart Radio where local radio stations have been closed.

Edward Vaizey: Decisions on radio licensing are a matter for Ofcom. However, we are not aware of any current plans to re-issue the licences of Global Radio, which owns the Heart network, except where any licences are due to expire.

Royal Parks Agency

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what objectives he has set for the Royal Parks Agency for the next five years.

John Penrose: The Royal Parks' corporate objectives, which the Secretary of State has approved, are:
	1. Conserve and enhance the natural and built environment, historic landscape and bio-diversity of the parks for the benefit of current visitors and future generations.
	2. Deliver a broad array of activities and amenities for our diverse audiences.
	3. Improve organisational effectiveness and deliver better value for money.
	He also agrees the agency's key performance targets annually. For 2010-11 these are:
	1. Maintain Green Flag status in all parks.
	2. Maintain ISO 14001 for environmental quality.
	3. Recycle 90% of uncontaminated green waste by volume.
	4. Increase cultural offer by delivering a London 2012 Inspire Programme major arts event, to coincide with the London 2012 Open Weekend.
	5. Generate an earned income, including donated assets, of £13 million.

Royal Parks Agency

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what guidance he has issued to the Royal Parks Agency on the holding of large-scale commercial events in the Royal Parks.

John Penrose: The Chief Executive has operational responsibility for events in The Royal Parks. The Secretary of State has not issued specific guidance but The Royal Parks has published a Major Events Strategy which is available on its website:
	http://www.royalparks.org.uk/docs/Major%20Events%20Strategy%202008%20-%202012.pdf

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members: Allowances

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Leader of the House how much has been paid to each Member representing Sinn Fein under each category of Parliamentary allowance in each financial year since the date of the Resolution of the House authorising payment of allowances to Members who have not taken their seats.

George Young: The information relating to the years 2001-02 to 2008-09 is available through the parliamentary website at:
	http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/house-of-commons-scheme-guides/hocallowances07/members-allowance-and-travel-breakdown-/
	The data for 2009-10 will be published online in due course as part of the House's publication scheme. I have also placed this information in the House of Commons Library.

Oral Questions

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Leader of the House if he will ensure that the number of different bodies answering questions for oral answer on the same day does not exceed the number of questions an hon. Member is entitled to submit for oral answer on that day.

George Young: The current rota for oral questions operates on a five-week cycle of 20 sitting days. On two of these days, the number of bodies answering questions for oral answer exceeds the maximum number of questions which an hon. Member is entitled to submit for answer on the same day:
	(a) on one Monday when questions to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are followed by combined questions to the Leader of the House and the House of Commons Commission; and
	(b) on one Tuesday when questions to the Deputy Prime Minister are followed by questions to the Attorney-General, which are in turn followed by combined questions to the Church Commissioners, the Public Accounts Commission and the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission.
	The number of different bodies answering questions on the same day could be reduced to two only by reducing the frequency with which oral questions are answered, reducing the total number of bodies on behalf of which questions are answered, or reducing the time available for questions to one or more Departments.
	I believe that the current arrangements strike the right balance between these different factors.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the average cost of re-integrating a former hostile soldier in Afghanistan in the latest period for which figures are available; and under what budgetary headings such expenditure is incurred.

Liam Fox: The Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme (APRP) has a budget of US$782 million for a five-year period. The APRP is designed to reach 4,000 communities in 22 provinces in Afghanistan, at an estimated average cost of $195,500 per community; it is not possible to provide an average per hostile soldier as requested.
	It is open to both insurgents and their communities who meet the Afghan Government's conditions: to cut ties with al-Qaeda; renounce violence; and agree to live within the Afghan constitutional framework. The APRP is funded by the international Peace and Reintegration Fund, whose donors include Japan, Germany, US, UK, Spain, Australia and the Republic of Korea, and falls under the overall decision-making authority of the Peace and Reintegration Programme's Joint Secretariat.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel injured during operations in Afghanistan were from Northern Ireland.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence is unable to identify Service personnel that are from Northern Ireland or that currently reside in Northern Ireland, as for most Service personnel the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system (the military personnel database) holds information on individuals' stationed location and not their residential address. This information could be obtained only through a manual search of every personnel record, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many armed forces personnel have been diagnosed with  (a) active and  (b) latent tuberculosis following a tour of duty in Afghanistan since 2001;
	(2)  whether armed forces personnel retiring from tours of duty in Afghanistan are routinely tested for  (a) active and  (b) latent tuberculosis.

Andrew Robathan: Armed forces personnel returning from tours of duty in Afghanistan are not routinely tested for either active or latent tuberculosis. Our policy is that all new recruits to the UK armed forces are offered the Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) tuberculosis vaccine, if they do not have evidence of previous vaccination (e.g. presence of a BCG scar) and no evidence of current immunity to tuberculosis (indicated by the result of a Mantoux Test).
	Our records show that we are aware of 11 service personnel identified as having tuberculosis at some point subsequent to their deployment to Afghanistan. It is not possible specifically to attribute a diagnosis of tuberculosis to an operational deployment.

Air Force: Rescue Services

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of RAF Rescue services.

Nick Harvey: The future of UK-based Search and Rescue Helicopter (SAR-H) flights are being considered in the review of the SAR-H private finance initiative project which is due to be completed in the near future. Other elements of the RAF SAR Force are subject to further work resulting from the outcome of the strategic defence and security review.

Air Forces: Military Bases

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to the defence budget of  (a) proceeding with the Nimrod MRA4 order and  (b) maintaining the support base at RAF Kinloss over the next five years and the period over which figures are based.

Peter Luff: As previously announced, we expect to save in the region of £2 billion over the next 10 years by not bringing Nimrod MRA4 into service. Release of further detail may prejudice the Ministry of Defence's negotiating position with its commercial suppliers. The future use of RAF Kinloss is subject to further study as Defence examines the overall basing and estate implications of the strategic defence and security and comprehensive spending reviews (including the move back to the UK of the Army in Germany). The outcome of this complex piece of work is not expected until spring 2011.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce his plans for the implementation of the re-basing of military personnel in Germany; and whether he has made an estimate of the costs to his Department on such re-basing.

Nick Harvey: Detailed work on how the re-basing will be implemented is under way as part of a wider analysis of the overall Defence basing and estate implications of the comprehensive spending review and strategic defence and spending review. No decisions are expected before spring 2011.

Armed Forces: Housing

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many accommodation units of each (a) type and (b) number of bedrooms his Department owns in each location in Argyll and Bute constituency; and whether each such unit is occupied.

Andrew Robathan: There are currently around 2,260 single living accommodation bed spaces at HM Naval Base Clyde. Records do not indicate whether a bed space is occupied at any point in time.
	There are a total of 515 service family accommodation properties at HMNB Clyde, broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Type  Number of bedrooms  Total  Occupied  Not occupied 
			  Officers 
			 II (Rear Admiral, Commodore) 2 x double, 2/3 x single 5 5 0 
			 III (Captain RN, Commander) 2 x double, 2 x single 38 24 14 
			 IV (Lt Commander) 2 x double, 2 x single 16 5 11 
			 V (Lieutenant and below) 2 x double, 1 x single 30 25 5 
			  Other ranks 
			 D 3 x double, 1 x single 36 28 8 
			 C 2 x double, 1 x single 244 173 71 
			 B 2 x double 146 98 48 
		
	
	In addition, there are a further 80 void maisonettes at Rhu, 48 of which are type D and 32 type V. These are not currently occupied by families.
	There are currently around 2,260 single living accommodation bed spaces at HMNB Clyde. Records do not indicate whether a bed space is occupied at any point in time.
	There are a total of 515 service family accommodation properties at HMNB Clyde, broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Type  Number of bedrooms  Total  Occupied  Not occupied 
			  Officers 
			 II (Rear Admiral, Commodore) 2 x double, 2/3 x single 5 5 0 
			 III (Captain RN, Commander) 2 x double, 2 x single 38 24 14 
			 IV (Lt Commander) 2 x double, 2 x single 16 5 11 
			 V (Lieutenant and below) 2 x double, 1 x single 30 25 5 
			  
			  Other ranks 
			 D 3 x double, 1 x single 36 28 8 
			 C 2 x double, 1 x single 244 173 71 
			 B 2 x double 146 98 48 
		
	
	In addition, there are a further 80 void maisonettes at Rhu, 48 of which are type D and 32 type V. These are not currently occupied by families.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel at each rank there were in financial year 2009-10.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 25 November 2010
	The Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) publish the United Kingdom Defence Statistics each year. This is available in the Library of the House and Chapter 2 contains the number of personnel in each rank as at 1 April since 1997.
	In the DASA Publication TSP 09, also available in the Library of the House, the number of personnel in each rank and by service as at 1 April since 2006 is listed on page 6.
	The full documents can also be found at:
	www.dasa.mod.uk

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many citizens of the Republic of Ireland have been recruited into each of the armed services in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 November 2010,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WA333, in another place, to the noble Lord, Baron Dubs of Battersea.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many foreign services personnel are affected by the post-1978 service rule relating to pension entitlements of post-retirement servicemen's widows; and what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of rescinding that rule in 2011-12.

Andrew Robathan: The information on the number of widow(er)s who are not eligible for a pension is not held. Consequently we are also unable to estimate costs.

Armed Forces: Young People

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of regulations limiting the rights of discharge of under 18-year-olds from the armed services on the UK's compliance with the provisions of International Labour Organisation Convention No. 29 on forced labour.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence does not consider the regulations governing the rights of discharge for those under the age of 18 years to be in breach of the International Labour Organisation Forced Labour Convention.

Atomic Veterans and the Health Protection Agency's Mortality Study

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on atomic veterans and the Health Protection Agency's mortality study; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Defence Ministers have held no recent discussions with the Department of Health on atomic veterans and the Health Protection Agencies (HPA) mortality study. Ministry of Defence Officials have recently discussed future options for renewal of the database contract it has with the HPA which supports this study.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 24 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 325-26W, by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Guildford (Anne Milton).

AWE Aldermaston

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the proposed new hydrodynamic facility Hydrus at AWE Aldermaston.

Peter Luff: The recently signed treaty with France agreeing to the joint construction and operation of a new hydrodynamics facility at Valduc in France, and a technology development centre at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in the UK means that plans for a UK-only facility at AWE Aldermaston-project Hydrus-will not now proceed as originally envisaged. However, the full implications for Hydrus and the means of transitioning to the planned new joint facilities are under review.

AWE Aldermaston

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of building and operating the proposed new  (a) EPURE nuclear warhead testing facilities at Valduc in France and  (b) TEUTATES technology development centre at AWE Aldermaston.

Peter Luff: The design, construction, operating and dismantling costs of both EPURE and the technology development centre will be shared equitably by the UK and France. This co-operation has the potential to save considerable sums for both parties compared to developing separate national facilities. However, due to the immaturity of present cost estimates and the need to protect commercial sensitivities I am unable to be more specific at the present time on the potential cost to the public purse.

AWE Aldermaston

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to submit planning applications for  (a) the proposed Anglo-French Teutates Technology Development Centre and  (b) the new solid intermediate level waste treatment plant at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston to the local planning authority.

Peter Luff: Planning, for the proposed Anglo-French Teutates technology development centre and the new solid intermediate level waste treatment plant at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston, is at an early stage. It is, therefore, too soon to define what planning approvals will be necessary. The Ministry of Defence, however, will ensure compliance with all legislative requirements including the Town and Country Planning Act (1990).

Departmental Grants

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department has allocated in grants for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and how much such funding he plans to allocate for 2011-12.

Liam Fox: holding answer 22 November 2010
	The departmental figures for FY 2009-10 are the outturn; for FY 2010-11 the figures are forecast payments to be made this financial year. The funding allocation for the forward year has still to be agreed.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Name of grant/grant in aid  FY 2009-10  FY 2010-11 
			 Veterans Challenge Fund 0.401 0.280 
			 Armed Forces Day 0.280 0.290 
			 Reserve Forces and Cadets Association-tri-service activities 112.051 105.489 
			 Sports Board-n support of tri-service activities 0.770 0.811 
			 Museums, e.g. Army, Air, Navy 20.134 20.568 
			 Welfare Grants 2.350 2.457 
			 St Clement Danes Church 0.010 0.020 
			 Royal Navy Historic Flight 0.220 0.225 
			 Commonwealth War Graves Commission 47.845 44.641 
			 National Memorial Arboretum 0.511 0.523 
			 Grants to the Royal British Legion 0.181 0.115 
			 Scott Polar Research Institute 0.035 0.035 
			 Skill Force 0.250 Closed 
			 Gurkha Welfare Trust 0.938 1.155 
			 Royal Hospital Chelsea 10.824 10.838 
			 Royal Irish Benevolent Fund 0.124 0.127 
			 Council of Voluntary Welfare Work in Germany (Welfare Council) 0.030 0.031 
			 RMB Chivenor Nursery 0.015 0.015 
			 Duke of York's Royal Military School - 0.786 
			 The Victoria and George Cross - 0.040

Departmental Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average annual salary equivalent has been for Territorial Army  (a) privates,  (b) lance corporals,  (c) corporals and  (d) sergeants on operational deployments in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: Data on actual payments to all individual TA soldiers deployed over the last five years are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows equivalent annual salaries based on the pay bands for Infantry personnel in the relevant ranks. For mobilised Territorial Army (TA) personnel, the pay bands are the same as for their Regular Army counterparts. There are a number of levels within each pay band, and the figures in the table represent broadly the middle of the range for a typical Regular soldier.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 Private 16,005 16,545 17,152 17,605 17,957 
			 Lance Corporal 23,535 24,328 25,128 25,887 26,405 
			 Corporal 27,057 27,970 28,951 29,761 30,357 
			 Sergeant 30,711 31,746 32,860 33,780 34,456 
		
	
	The actual amount paid to each, individual would depend on a number of factors, including the length of mobilisation. Typically, a TA soldier will receive eight months' salary, based on a six-month deployment, one month of pre-tour training and one month of post-tour leave.
	In addition to the basic salary, a mobilised TA soldier may also be entitled to claim the following allowances in accordance with the regulations applicable to Regulars, the sums for which are shown at daily rates:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 Operational allowance 14.51 14.51 14.51 14.51 29.02 
			 Longer separation allowance (level 1 of 15 levels) 6.02 6.22 6.38 6.56 6.69 
			 Unpleasant work allowance (level 1 of 3 levels) 2.25 2.32 2.38 2.45 2.50 
			 Unpleasant living allowance - - - - 3.34 
		
	
	In cases where mobilised TA soldiers' military pay, less operational allowance, falls short of what they would be paid in their regular employment, they are entitled to claim the difference subject to an upper daily limit of £822 per day for medical consultants whose TA service is within the Defence Medical Services as a consultant, and £548 per day for all other reservists.

Departmental Redundancy

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many redundancies will arise as a result of the closure of the four regional divisional headquarters; and whether such redundancies are included in the 25,000 civilian staff redundancies announced in his Department's strategic defence and security review;
	(2)  how many regional brigade headquarters will close as a result of the implementation of the proposals of his Department's strategic defence and security review; how many redundancies will arise as a result of the closures; and whether such redundancies are included in the 25,000 civilian staff redundancies announced in the strategic defence and security review.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 October 2010,  Official Report, column 370W, to the hon. Member for Glasgow South West (Mr Davidson). The detailed work of the project team continues and is not due to conclude until the middle of next year. It is too early to say, therefore, what redundancies might arise as a result of the closures of four divisional headquarters and at least two regional brigade headquarters.
	I can confirm, however, that any civilian staff redundancies that do arise will be included in the 25,000 civilian staff reductions announced in the strategic defence and security review on 19 October 2010,  Official Report, column 797.

Departmental Redundancy

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many redundancies will arise from reducing the communications and logistics support to Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps; and whether such redundancies are included in the 25,000 civilian staff redundancies announced in his Department's strategic defence and security review;
	(2)  how many redundancies will arise from the conversion of the second of the operational divisional headquarters to a force preparation role; and whether such redundancies are included in the 25,000 civilian staff redundancies announced in his Department's strategic defence and security review.

Nick Harvey: Implementation of the strategic defence and security review began in the autumn and will continue into 2011, using the strategy for defence and planning round processes and the work of the defence reform unit. Detailed planning and analysis is still under way, and it is too early to say how many redundancies might arise from the reduction in communications and logistics support to Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps or as a result of the conversion of the second of the operational divisional headquarters to a force preparation role.
	I can confirm, however, that any civilian staff redundancies that do arise will be included in the 25,000 civilian staff reductions announced in the strategic defence and security review on 19 October 2010,  Official Report, column 797.

Departmental Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 597W, on departmental research, what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on research and development in  (a) 2011-12,  (b) 2012-13 and  (c) 2013-14.

Peter Luff: At present, the Ministry of Defence expects that the research budget will rise slightly in cash terms over the comprehensive spending review period. However, no final decisions have been taken on the level of research and development funding in the Ministry of Defence's planning round 2011 programme which is expected to conclude in early 2011.

Nimrod Aircraft

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had on other countries fulfilling the role that would have been performed by Nimrod MRA4 aircraft.

Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 450-51W, and the hon. Members for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow (Mr McCann), and North Durham (Mr Jones).

Nuclear Submarines

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the design life is in effective full-power years of the PWR2  (a) reactor pressure vessel and  (b) nuclear steam raising plant.

Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 November 2010,  Official Report, column 38W.

Nuclear Weapons: Finance

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) contracts have been signed and  (b) other agreements have been made with (i) BAE and (ii) other companies in respect of the Future Submarine Programme.

Peter Luff: Contracts to support the Concept Phase of the Future Submarine Programme have been signed with BAE Systems Marine Ltd, Babcock (Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd) and Rolls-Royce Power Engineering plc.
	Other contracts to support the concept phase have been placed with companies including QinetiQ, Deloitte and Wragge & Co Limited Liability Partnership. It is not possible to provide details of all of the smaller value contracts placed by the Ministry of Defence as this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In addition, contracts for the design of a common missile compartment have been placed with Electric Boat by the United States Government.

Public Expenditure

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much additional funding his Department plans to allocate for the purposes of enhancing simulated training, as referred to in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, in each year of the spending review period.

Nick Harvey: The strategic defence and security review announced that there would be enhancements to simulated training to produce a more efficient and cost-effective training environment. The Ministry of Defence is in the process of completing its annual planning round which will allocate programme budgets. This is expected to conclude in early 2011.

Public Expenditure

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional funding his Department plans to allocate for the development of and use of  (a) sensors and  (b) nanotechnology in each year of the spending review period.

Peter Luff: The strategic defence and security review made clear that we will continue the most essential investment in science and technology, which will include focusing investment on developing capabilities in key areas, such as, sensors and nanotechnology. The Ministry of Defence is in the process of completing its annual planning round which will allocate programme budgets. This is expected to conclude in early 2011.

Public Expenditure

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional funding his Department plans to allocate to increase the Government's capacity to respond to civil emergencies in each year of the spending review period.

Nick Harvey: As set out in the strategic defence and security review, the Government consider it a priority for the UK to be resilient to all kinds of emergencies. Defence has a long standing record of providing assistance in the event of a civil emergency, providing specialist capabilities which may not be available in the civil community or augmenting civil capacity if it is overwhelmed by the scale of an event. Military assistance is normally provided on a reimbursement basis at the request of, and in support of, other Government Departments.

Rescue Services

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what alternative options for meeting the search and rescue requirement his Department considered as part of its review of the search and rescue (helicopter) programme.

Peter Luff: The review of the search and rescue helicopter project is considering a full range of alternative options including extending the current capability, acquisition of capital assets, and shorter and longer term service arrangements to meet the UK helicopter Search and Rescue capability. Until this is concluded it would be inappropriate to comment further on any specific aspects of the review.

Rescue Services

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of extending beyond 2016 the life of the Sea King helicopters currently used by the RAF and Royal Navy for search and rescue operations.

Peter Luff: Extending the current Search and Rescue Sea King helicopters is being considered as part of the Review of the Search and Rescue-Helicopter Project. Until this is concluded it would be inappropriate to comment on any specific aspects of the Review.

Rescue Services

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on Sikorsky's programme to extend the life of the US variant of the Sea King helicopter; whether his review of the search and rescue (helicopter) programme took account of that information; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence does not hold information on a Sikorsky programme to extend the life of the US variant of the Sea King helicopter. The UK Sea Kings were built and are supported by AgustaWestland and the review of the Search and Rescue-Helicopter Project includes consideration of extending the life of these helicopters.

Rescue Services

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the implementation of the proposal to de-militarise the search and rescue (helicopter) programme on  (a) RNAS Culdrose,  (b) RAF Chivenor,  (c) RAF Boulmer,  (d) RAF Leconfield,  (e) RAF Wattisham,  (f) RAF Prestwick,  (g) RAF Valley and  (h) RAF Lossiemouth; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Mr Robathan) on 19 November 2010,  Official Report, column 968W, to the right hon. Member for Coventry North East (Mr Ainsworth).

Rescue Services

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value was of contractual liabilities incurred by his Department in respect of Soteria at the time of the suspension of the search and rescue (helicopter) programme.

Peter Luff: Soteria is the Preferred Bidder for the Search and Rescue Helicopter project and there are no contractual liabilities as no contract has been awarded.

Rescue Services

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the range is of the helicopter selected by Soteria for the search and rescue (helicopter) requirement; and whether that helicopter has an in-flight refuelling capability.

Peter Luff: The maximum range of the Sikorsky S92 helicopter in search and rescue configuration is 634 nautical miles. This more than meets the search and rescue (helicopter) coverage requirement for the UK. Therefore an in-flight refuelling capability is not required.

Rescue Services

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects of the withdrawal of Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft on the  (a) required fleet mix for the search and rescue (helicopter) programme and  (b) operational capabilities of the helicopter platform selected by Soteria.

Peter Luff: The search and rescue helicopter requirement is not dependent on the Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft and there are no plans to change it as a result of not bringing the Nimrod into service.

Rescue Services

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft play in maritime search and rescue missions; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: None. Although the Nimrod MR2 was designed to undertake a wide variety of roles including a long-range search and rescue capability, it was withdrawn from service in March 2010. Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Nimrod MRA4 will no longer be brought into service. The UK will continue to provide search and rescue services using a range of assets depending on the response required.

Rescue Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects his Department's review of proposals for helicopter search and rescue under the Private Finance Initiative to be concluded; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Mr Robathan) on 19 November 2010,  Official Report, column 968W, to the right hon. Member for Coventry North East (Mr Ainsworth).

Special Forces: Public Expenditure

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional funding his Department plans to allocate to the Special Forces in each year of the spending review period.

Nick Harvey: The recently published strategic defence and security review highlighted the contribution of our Special Forces to a wide range of intervention operations and the vital support they provide to stabilisation operations and other commitments. We have taken the decision to provide further investment in this area to significantly enhance support capabilities. Following the long-standing precedent regarding Special Forces, no further details will be provided to help to protect operational capability.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the strategic defence and security review, whether his Department has made an estimate of the level of savings which will accrue from the rationalisation of wider equipment holdings in light of experience on operations and fleet management during the comprehensive spending review period.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) made estimates of the cost savings accrued from measures in the strategic defence and security review for the purposes of formulating policy. Some of these have been published to help inform the public debate. Release of further detail may prejudice the MOD's negotiating position with its commercial suppliers. Furthermore, final savings figures will depend on detailed implementation, which will generally be subject to full consultation with all relevant parties, including the trade unions and the devolved Administrations, as well as the results of mandatory assessments on the impact that the measures will have on sustainability, equality and diversity and health and safety. The MOD is therefore not able to release more detailed figures at this time.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many submissions to the strategic defence and security review his Department received from the general public;
	(2)  how many submissions to the strategic defence and security review from members of the public were  (a) read,  (b) acknowledged and  (c) replied to substantively.

Liam Fox: The Ministry of Defence received over 1,000 letters from the public on aspects of the strategic defence and security review during the period of the review. All were read on receipt, and either have received or will receive replies.
	These are in addition to over 6,000 responses from industry, public submissions to the Cabinet Office Coalition Partnership Agreement, academics, Members of Parliament, members of the armed forces, and public servants within and beyond Defence.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all meetings on the strategic defence and security review attended by Ministers in his Department were minuted.

Liam Fox: holding answer 25 November 2010
	All meetings of the Defence Strategy Group, which I chaired, were minuted. There was also an ongoing dialogue between Ministers and service chiefs outside the Group which did not require a formal record.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what training schemes will be deleted to find efficiencies in military training, as referred to in the strategic defence and security review;
	(2)  what enhancements his Department plans to make to simulated training, as referred to in the strategic defence and security review.

Nick Harvey: We will enhance the training environment and use the most effective method of preparing our armed forces for what we ask them to do. This will mean that some outdated training methods will be replaced by modern simulators and training techniques, but we do not plan to delete whole training schemes unless there is no longer a need for them.

Surveillance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with its US counterparts on co-operation on surveillance platforms.

Peter Luff: Ministers and officials from both countries regularly discuss co-operation on surveillance platforms.

Surveillance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the UK's surveillance needs up to 2020;
	(2)  what arrangements his Department has put in place to ensure the UK can meet its surveillance needs up to 2020.

Peter Luff: The strategic defence and security review reviewed the UK's capability requirements, including airborne surveillance, through to 2020. To meet them a number of projects at various stages of maturity are currently under way. These include projects to deliver and/or support unmanned systems such as Watchkeeper, and manned platforms such as E-3D Sentry, Rivet Joint and the replacement for the Sea King Mk 7 Airborne Surveillance and Control helicopter. We are content that we have adequate surveillance capability up to 2020.

Surveillance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with its French counterparts on co-operation on surveillance platforms.

Peter Luff: Following the announcement at the UK-France Defence and Security Co-operation summit on 2 November that we had agreed to collaborate on the assessment phase of the next generation of Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Air Surveillance Systems; our officials are working together to agree joint requirements and plans.

Territorial Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2010,  Official Report, column 565W, on the Yorkshire Regiment, what other roles have been suspended from Territorial Army infantry units.

Andrew Robathan: In the light of current operational requirements, the Territorial Army Infantry's Javelin (anti-tank) role has also been suspended.

World War II: Anniversaries

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what preparations his Department has made in respect of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: In conjunction with Service charities, veterans' organisations and associations, the Royal Air Force developed a comprehensive series of events to commemorate and celebrate the 70(th) anniversary of the Battle of Britain culminating in September this year. The key tenet that underpinned these events was to allow veterans to participate as fully as possible in this anniversary. Events were held all over the country but the principal events of celebration were the unveiling of a memorial statue to Sir Keith Park in Waterloo Place on 15 September and a Service of Commemoration and Dedication held in Westminster Abbey on 19 September.
	The RAF is considering the appropriate level of commemoration for the 75(th) anniversary of this historic event in 2015 but it is too early to confirm any plans at this point.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Savings Programme: Consultation

Thomas Docherty: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, which representative bodies of  (a) hon. Members,  (b) hon. Members' staff and  (c) staff of the House were consulted before the proposals in respect of the House's savings programme were communicated.

John Thurso: Following the Commission's request to the Management Board to develop savings options, consultation on the Management Board's list of possible initial savings is currently under way involving all of the groups referred to in the hon. Member's question. The list was sent first to the Finance and Services Committee. The Chair of the Finance and Services Committee wrote to hon. Members on 15 November seeking their views and also wrote to the Administration, Liaison and Procedure Committees; the Management Board has held all-staff meetings for House staff in addition to intradepartmental meetings; and views are actively being sought from trade unions and Members' staff representative bodies.

10:10 Campaign

Simon Hughes: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the House of Commons Commission plans to participate in the 10:10 campaign to reduce its carbon emissions by 10% in one year; and if he will make a statement.

John Thurso: The Commission applauds the aims of the 10:10 campaign, and recognises the significance of the targets it promotes, but does not plan to join it. In October 2009 the Commission agreed it should avoid lending the House's name to particular campaigns and should participate only in exceptional circumstances.
	The House has set a target to reduce its carbon emissions from energy by 7% by 2010-11, relative to 2008-09. In the 12 month period to the end of October 2010 the House has recorded a 5.6% reduction in its carbon emissions.

Utilities

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the combined cost of heating and water utilities was for the House of Commons portion of the Parliamentary Estate in each year since 2005.

John Thurso: The cost of heating alone cannot be provided as electricity and gas charges include heating, hot water and catering usage and cannot be broken down into these categories.
	The water and sewerage charges paid by the House of Commons for its portion of the Estate for each financial year since 2005 are as follows.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 312,100 
			 2006-07 278,800 
			 2007-08 318,800 
			 2008-09 256,900 
			 2009-10 195,800

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Departmental Written Questions

Paul Beresford: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many and what proportion of questions tabled to the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority for written answer on a named day were answered substantively before or on the day named for answer since May 2010; how many such questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 had not received a substantive answer by 18 November 2010; and what estimate he has made of the average cost of answering a question for written answer on a named day on the day named for answer in the latest period for which figures are available.

Charles Walker: The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority agreed on 30 June 2010 to accept questions for written answer with effect from 5 July 2010. The Speaker's Committee for the IPSA keeps statistics on the numbers of questions dealt with in order that the procedures of the Speaker's Committees should remain broadly consistent with each other.
	Since 5 July there have been 41 named day questions to the Committee, of which 32 (78%) were answered substantively on or before the day named; all named day questions tabled between May and 12 November have received substantive answers.
	Neither the Speaker's Committee nor the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made an estimate of the average cost of answering a named day question on the day named for answer but it is noted that HM Treasury has established the cost of a written PQ as £149.00:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/parliamentary-clerk-guide/chapter7.aspx

Departmental Written Questions

Paul Beresford: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many and what proportion of questions tabled to the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority for ordinary written answer since May 2010 were answered within  (a) seven days and  (b) 14 days of tabling; how many such questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 remained unanswered by 18 November 2010; and what estimate he has made of the average cost of answering a question for ordinary written answer within seven days of tabling in the latest period for which figures are available.

Charles Walker: The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority agreed on 30 June 2010 to accept questions for written answer with effect from 5 July 2010. The Speaker's Committee for the IPSA keeps statistics on the numbers of questions dealt with in order that the procedures of the Speaker's Committees should remain broadly consistent with each other.
	Since 5 July there have been 95 questions for ordinary written answer to the Committee. Of these, 42 (44%) were answered within seven days of tabling (one with additional material supplied 13 days later). 62 (65%) were answered within 14 days of tabling. These periods include non-sitting Fridays, weekends and parliamentary recesses. Two questions tabled between July and 12 November, on 11 November, did not receive substantive answers by 18 November but were both answered substantively on 19 November.
	Neither the Speaker's Committee nor the Independent Parliamentary Standards authority has made an estimate of the average cost of answering a named day question on the day named for answer but it is noted that HM Treasury has established the cost of a written PQ as £149.00:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/parliamentary-clerk-guide/chapter7.aspx

Email

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what procedure is followed in handling emails sent by hon. Members to the chief executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; what arrangements are made to ensure that the chief executive sees such correspondence; and what target time is set for the provision of a response.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew McDonald:
	As Interim Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about the procedure for the handling of emails sent to the Chief Executive (26780).
	The majority of correspondence sent to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is dealt with by the Information Team, who have the information and the authority to deal with most queries. Members of this team pass on correspondence when appropriate.
	Emails sent direct to me, as Chief Executive, are handled according to the nature of the query. Routine queries are passed to the Information Team for reply; complaints are handled under IPSA's complaints procedure; and, in a small number of cases, queries are dealt with either by my office on my behalf, or by me direct.
	The overall target for correspondence within the organisation is to resolve 90% within five working days. Correspondence to be answered by me or by my office specifically is, by its nature, more complicated and tends to raise broader policy issues. Consequently, the expectation is that more items in this category will fall outside the overall five-day target.
	I approve all letters sent under my name.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future provision of adult education in  (a) West Ham constituency,  (b) Newham and  (c) London.

John Hayes: The newly published strategy for skills, "Skills for Sustainable Growth", is based on the coalition principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility. Funding for adult education will be refocused on those who need it most. Employers and citizens will be asked to take greater responsibility for ensuring their own skills needs are met. And control will be devolved to communities so they can play a greater role in shaping services.
	For the 2010/11 academic year, over £567 million has been allocated to further education (FE) colleges and providers based in the London region to support the delivery of post 19 FE and skills provision. This included over £25.5 million for providers based in the West Ham constituency and £722,000 for providers based in the Newham constituency. These figures are drawn from allocations to individual providers based in these areas; the provider could choose to deliver provision in other areas of the country.
	As set out in "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth" (16 November 2010), in the 2011-12 financial year we will invest £3.9 billion in post-19 further education (FE) and skills. The allocation of funding for the 2011/12 academic year will be carried out by the Skills Funding Agency, over the coming months, in line with the overall post-19 FE and skills funding envelope.

Agriculture: Research

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research projects designed to assist  (a) the development of organic agriculture and  (b) farmers (i) mitigate the effects of and (ii) adapt to climate change have been funded by (A) each research council and (B) the Science and Technology Facilities Council since 1997; what the (1) research topic, (2) start date, (3) cost and (4) project code was of each such project; what the lead institution was in each case; and which such projects have been completed to date.

David Willetts: The Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) have funded projects in both areas, and details of these will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Some of the data sets do not run for the full period since 1997; this is because data for the years which are not provided can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) funded two grants since 1997 whose research included GM plants. Details of these will also be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC) and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) have not funded any projects of the types listed.

Aimhigher Programme

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many interventions were made by Aimhigher UK in each local education authority area in England in the last year for which figures are available.

David Willetts: Information on the number of interventions made by Aimhigher is gathered by Aimhigher partnerships on an area basis. This information is not disaggregated by local authority area. Information provided by partnerships showing the number of activities in each partnership area in the 2009/10 academic year is summarised in the following table.
	In addition, the national roadshow held 4,850 sessions for approximately 70,000 learners. It is not possible to disaggregate this to show the number of learners per partnership area.
	The coalition Government is committed to providing a new impetus for social mobility in this country and will be investing in raising the attainment and aspiration of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Universities and schools have learned a lot from the Aimhigher programme about "what works" and can build on this in a way that best supports their pupils and students.
	
		
			  Aimhigher: number of activities by partnership 
			  Partnership  Number of activities 
			 Aspire 430 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 1,528 
			 Berkshire 248 
			 Birmingham and Solihull 1,793 
			 The Black Country 3,283 
			 Cambridgeshire 580 
			 Cheshire and Warrington 291 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire 623 
			 Essex 4,581 
			 Greater Manchester 3,790 
			 Greater Merseyside 988 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1,368 
			 Herefordshire and Worcester 444 
			 Hertfordshire 555 
			 Kent and Medway 929 
			 LIFE-Bournemouth and Poole 852 
			 London North West and Central 1,270 
			 London East Thames Gateway 463 
			 London South 783 
			 Milton Keynes 1,156 
			 Norfolk 395 
			 North Yorkshire 1,122 
			 Peninsula 898 
			 Shropshire 300 
			 Staffordshire 1,163 
			 Suffolk 409 
			 Surrey 258 
			 Sussex 5,402 
			 Tyne and Wear and Northumberland 862 
			 Lincolnshire and Rutland 865 
			 Derbyshire 1,339 
			 County Durham 311 
			 Cumbria 480 
			 Lancashire 1,428 
			 Leicestershire 665 
			 Northamptonshire 545 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,039 
			 South Yorkshire 3,590 
			 Tees Valley 1,696 
			 The Humber 1,314 
			 West Yorkshire 2,944 
			 West Area 1,564 
			 Total 54,544

Aimhigher Programme

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the satisfaction level among schools participating in the Aimhigher programme.

David Willetts: Research conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) for HEFCE published earlier this year reported that evidence from colleges, schools and academies showed that involvement in the activities provided through Aimhigher was associated with higher than predicted attainment at GCSE and greater confidence among learners that they were able to achieve.
	In addition, HEFCE undertook a consultation with 20 schools and academies over the summer. The consultation found that schools and academies valued campus visits and summer schools as having the most impact on learners.
	The coalition Government are committed to providing a new impetus for social mobility in this country and will be investing in raising the attainment and aspiration of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Universities and schools have learned a lot from the Aimhigher programme about "what works" and can build on this in a way that best supports their pupils and students.

Apprentices

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to take on apprentices.

John Hayes: We want to make it easier for businesses of all sizes to take on apprentices and access the benefits they can bring to the workplace, which is why one of our first announcements was to redeploy £150 million from Train to Gain to create 50,000 more apprenticeship places. Just last month, we built on this by confirming that we will boost spending on apprenticeships by up to £250 million above the funding inherited from the last Government, before the end of the spending review period.
	Small businesses are the cornerstone of our economy and high quality training opportunities like apprenticeships are key to supporting their growth and success. I know that small businesses place great value on apprenticeships and are prepared to invest in them.
	Group training models have an important role to play in helping us to reach more small and medium-sized businesses-providing them with a means of sharing the administrative burdens and costs. I am an advocate of the Group Training Association (GTA) model and recently asked the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) to look at what they could do to further support the GTA network in England.

Apprentices: Public Sector

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to increase the number of apprenticeships available in the public sector; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: As set out in our recently published strategy Skills for Sustainable Growth, this Government are committed to expanding apprenticeships. By 2014-15, we will have in place sufficient funding to train 75,000 more adult apprentices than the previous Government were providing.
	While Government funding supports training for apprentices, we rely on employers to make the opportunities available to their new and existing staff. As employer of around one-fifth of the country's work force, the public sector will be a key part of this. Apprenticeships are now available in around 200 job roles and are no longer only about traditional trades in the private sector.
	I want to see an increase in public sector apprenticeships because they improve productivity and offer a great way to meet the skills needs of the work force, which will ultimately result in better public service delivery.
	However, I do not believe we should try to achieve that through arbitrary central Government targets. Instead, Government should encourage and enable public sector employers to take advantage of apprenticeships. That is why the National Apprenticeship Service has representatives in place in every region of the country to support public sector employers with advice and guidance. We have also ensured that within central Government apprentices are exempt from the civil service-wide recruitment freeze. I was also pleased to offer my support to the Department for Health who announced earlier this month that the NHS apprenticeship programme will receive £10 million to create around 6,000 new NHS apprenticeships.

Business: Departmental Co-ordination

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms are in place for the  (a) management and  (b) cross-departmental co-ordination of the Government's relationship with UK FTSE 100 companies.

Edward Davey: Most day-to-day stakeholder engagement on specific areas of policy development, implementation and review is led by policy officials-this includes but is not limited to FTSE 100 companies. A central stakeholder engagement team is responsible for ensuring that BIS adopts a well co-ordinated approach to engaging with BIS stakeholders. The stakeholder engagement team gives the Department a strategic oversight, ensuring effective use of resource across the Department and its priorities, and identifying gaps and opportunities.
	Ministers and senior officials have regular and appropriate contact through co-ordinated and effective visits and events, which CEOs and Chairs of FTSE companies regularly attend.
	Across Whitehall, formal and informal networks exist to share information and co-ordinate where issues and policies impact on core stakeholders. This happens at policy level and across stakeholder engagement teams.

Ceramics: Trade Fairs

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if his Department will provide assistance to  (a) Anderen Ltd in Stoke-on-Trent South constituency and  (b) other ceramics companies to attend the Ceramics China Exhibition in May 2011.

Mark Prisk: Anderen Ltd is in contact with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), and a UKTI international trade adviser is currently working with them.
	Staffordshire chamber of commerce has actively supported the development of international trade opportunities for the ceramics industry in certain key markets, including China. UKTI is currently considering whether or not it will be able to offer support for UK companies to attend the Ceramics China Exhibition in light of the spending review outcome.

Commodities Trading

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the regulation of commodities derivatives trading in the EU.

Mark Hoban: I have been asked to reply.
	There are a number of EU initiatives under way relevant to the regulation of commodity derivatives. These include the review of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), on which a consultation document is expected shortly from the European Commission, and the proposed Regulation on Over the Counter (OTC) Derivatives, Central Counterparties and Trade Repositories. The Government are actively engaged in these processes.
	In addition I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 November 2010,  Official Report, column 475W, to the hon. Member for Sefton Central (Bill Esterson).

Co-operatives

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress he has made in supporting the creation and expansion of co-operatives; and what his policy is on the provision of Government support for the establishment of new co-operatives.

Edward Davey: The Government are committed to encouraging new and existing businesses to consider the benefits of models-including co-operatives-which enable co-ownership and engagement by employees, by customers or by wider communities-while acknowledging that such models will not be appropriate for all businesses.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is currently examining the information made available on:
	www.Businesslink.gov.uk
	to ensure that businesses and other organisations are able to make appropriate choices about the legal forms and ownership structures that best suit their operations.
	The Government are also developing a suite of new Rights to Provide for public sector workers to form employee-led mutuals to take over the services they deliver. The Cabinet Office is leading work with Departments to explore in detail how such rights can be applied across the public sector, including by building on the lessons emerging from 12 pathfinder mutuals launched in August. In support of this commitment a number of leading organisations in the mutual sector have now launched a freely available phone and web-based information service for those interested in taking this agenda forward. The Government will announce further progress with this policy in a White Paper on Public Service Reform in early 2011, and will continue to develop the necessary support and guidance in this context.
	The Government are also committed to further modernisation of the legislative framework for co-operatives, including by bringing forward the necessary legislation to implement the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies and Credit Unions Act 2010, and by relaying The Legislative Reform (Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions) Order 2010.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what items of expenditure Ministers in his Department have authorised since his appointment.

Edward Davey: holding answer 4 November 2010
	Expenditure by my Department for both the current and previous Administrations was approved by Parliament through the parliamentary estimates process. Budgets are delegated to the accounting officers of departments by the Treasury in line with the approved estimates. Accounting officers are responsible for expenditure within departments. Some specific items of expenditure have to be individually authorised by Ministers under the legislation relating to that expenditure, or as an HM Treasury requirement.
	Since my appointment, Ministers in my Department have authorised the following:
	Additional Hours of Advice project-to extend the opening hours within the Citizen's Advice local offices.
	Blackpool Leisure Assets-a joint public sector-led proposal to acquire Blackpool Tower and Winter Gardens involving the north west development agency.
	Bristol and Bath Science Park-a proposal by the south west regional development agency to develop a science park on the home of the National Composite Centre.
	The student support grant and loan regulations which are authorised in the summer preceding the academic year to which they apply.
	The annual Skills Investment Strategy setting out the allocations for further education for the next financial year.
	UK-China links.
	Scholarships for service leavers.
	Digital life skills.
	All proposed consultancy expenditure and expenditure outside the freeze on recruitment and marketing, and remuneration above the Prime Minister's salary.

Departmental Regulation

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what regulations sponsored by his Department have been revoked in the last six months.

Mark Prisk: This Department has not yet revoked any significant regulatory measures. However, we have launched a review of employment law, and are conducting a major fundamental review scrutinising the overall stock of BIS regulation, alongside legacy measures inherited from the previous Administration.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether further education institutions will be required to fulfil any statutory duties under his plans for the Discretionary Learner Support Fund.

David Willetts: As set out in, "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth" strategy document, over the next few months we will engage with colleges, training organisations and other stakeholders on how a discretionary learner support fund should be managed in the future. This will ensure the fund recognises the characteristics of different types of learners and identifies the particular delivery arrangements appropriate for the FE and Skills sector. Statutory duties do not apply to this Fund and we have no plans that they will apply in the future.
	FE institutions are not required to fulfil any statutory duties in relation to the Discretionary Learner Support Fund and we have no plans that they will be required to do so in the future.

Economic Growth

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what date he expects his Department to publish its White Paper on Growth.

Mark Prisk: Returning the UK economy to sustainable growth is the overriding priority of this coalition Government. BIS and HM Treasury are jointly leading work to explore routes to a more balanced and sustainable model for growth. "The path to strong, sustainable and balanced growth" published today (29 November 2010), launched a comprehensive review of the Government's work to encourage economic growth. The review will last the whole Parliament, with a first report by Budget 2011.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on ensuring that Phase 2 of the European Union Emissions Trading Regime allows for the expansion of carbon-efficient UK manufacturing companies.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 25 November 2010
	The Department had extensive discussions with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and its predecessor DEFRA when setting the UK National Allocation Plan for Phase 2 of the EU Emissions Trading System. The plan includes rules for allocating allowances to significant capacity extensions. The plan was approved by the European Commission prior to the commencement of Phase 2 in 2008.
	My officials are in close discussion with DECC and the European Commission to ensure the needs and concerns of carbon-efficient UK manufacturing companies are taken into account in setting the rules for significant expansions in future phases of the EU Emissions Trading System.

Export Credit Guarantees

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Export Credits Guarantee Department is taking to support local businesses to compete in international export markets.

Edward Davey: ECGD engages directly with exporters, exporter representative bodies and banks that provide export finance to raise awareness of its services and products. ECGD also markets its facilities overseas so that projects sponsors and buyers are aware of the availability of export finance to assist the purchase of supplies from the UK.

Export Credit Guarantees

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the financial benefit to the UK of loans underwritten by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in 2010-11.

Edward Davey: No specific assessment has been made of the financial benefit to the UK economy of loans underwritten by ECGD in 2010-11, and there are no plans to do so. ECGD's statutory purpose is to support exports which it achieves by guaranteeing loans made available from eligible banks to finance export contracts obtained by UK exporters and insuring exporters against non-payment. Such export contracts benefit the exporters involved and also companies in their supply chains including SMEs. ECGD is tasked to operate so as to break even over time; presently, it is a net financial contributor to the Exchequer.

Export Credit Guarantees

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the total risk liability of overseas loans guaranteed by the Export Credits Guarantee Department is.

Edward Davey: The Export Credits Guarantee Department's contingent liability in respect of overseas loans it has guaranteed as at 31 October 2010 is £12,329 million.

Export Credit Guarantees

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Export Credits Guarantee Department has allocated to support loans from British banks in 2010-11.

Edward Davey: ECGD does not allocate any particular amounts to support loans from British banks. It guarantees loans made available by eligible banks to finance specific export contracts obtained by UK exporters according to its risk capacity for a particular country, the creditworthiness of the buyer/borrower and on terms and conditions that are appropriate to the export transaction being financed.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will  (a) review the operation of the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) and  (b) ask that review to consider the merits of requiring future projects supported by the ECGD to be assessed in relation to environment sustainability and human rights standards.

Edward Davey: I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
	The Government have no plans to change to ECGD's role and status.
	It is ECGD's policy to comply with international agreements which apply to the operations of Export Credit Agencies. In this respect, ECGD applies the OECD Council Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits that establishes the basis upon which the environmental, social and human rights impacts of projects must be addressed.

Flexible Working

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consultation his Department has undertaken with the public sector and private sector employers on his plans to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees.

Edward Davey: I will consult on the extension to the right to request flexible working to all employees in the new year.

Fulbright Commission

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 22 November 2010,  Official Report, House of Lords, column 959, what legal status the agreement signed on 22 September 1948 establishing the US-UK Fulbright Commission has; whether the agreement constitutes a legally binding treaty; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: I confirm that the agreement, as amended, constitutes a legally-binding treaty. While the terms of the agreement are binding, the level of annual funding of the Fulbright scholarship programme is not stipulated in the treaty. The Government support the programme and we are committed to providing it with the best possible settlement.

Further Education: Finance

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the likely effect of the proposed reduction in funding available to support students in further education on the number of students who will study at a further education institution in the next academic year;
	(2)  if he will undertake an equality impact assessment of the proposed reduction in funding for financial support for students in further education in academic year 2011-12.

John Hayes: As outlined in "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Success" published on 16 November 2010 the 2010-11 baseline for adult learner support was £144,398,000, this will increase to £151,398,000 in 2011-12. We have also published an indicative budget for 2012-13 of £163,768,000.
	An equality impact assessment for "Skills for Sustainable Growth" and "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Success" was also published on 16 November 2010.

Further Education: Finance

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  whether the methodology used to determine the level of payments from the Discretionary Learner Support Fund will take into account the number of young people in a household who are in further or higher education in the academic year 2011-12;
	(2)  whether work-based learners will be eligible to access the Discretionary Learner Support Fund in the 2011-12 academic year;
	(3)  whether students who had not completed a course in a previous academic year will be eligible for support from the Discretionary Learner Support Fund in the 2011-12 academic year.

John Hayes: The Government are committed to providing targeted financial support to enable students to access learning and training. "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth", published on 16 November 2010, announced that the current arrangements for learner support will start to change from the 2011/12 academic year. An enhanced discretionary learner support fund will be created within the next two years. We will work closely with the sector on these changes and will announce more detail on the allocation of funds in due course.

Further Education: Finance

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effects on equality of access to further education at  (a) local and  (b) regional level of further education institutions making available different levels of funding to assist students.

John Hayes: The equality impact assessment, recently carried out by BIS on the funding systems for 2011/12 and 2012/13, was published following a consultation on the funding process. This can be referred to at
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/s/10-1284-skills-for-sustainable-growth-investing-equality-impact.pdf

Further Education: Finance

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether there will be a central appeals system for students who wish to dispute a funding decision in respect of an allocation from their institution's Discretionary Learner Support Fund in the 2011-12 academic year.

John Hayes: Currently, each college has a published policy on how discretionary learner support funds are distributed. Learners who are dissatisfied with that procedure can lodge an appeal using the college's own internal appeal system. If they are still dissatisfied with that outcome they can access/utilise the Skills Funding Agency appeals procedure. It is expected that the same or a similar approach will be adopted for the 2011/12 academic year.

Further Education: Finance

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what audit procedures will be put in place in respect of the administration by individual institutions of the Discretionary Learner Support Fund in the 2011-12 academic year.

John Hayes: The Government have announced that the current arrangements for learner support will start to change from the 2011/12 academic year. Providers currently in receipt of Government support must have administrative procedures that record the details of learner applications for financial assistance. They are also required to submit information detailing how funds have been used. The data is used to demonstrate the efficacy of and to demonstrate probity in the use of public funds.

Further Education: Student Numbers

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people who started a course of study at a further education college in January of each of the last five years.

John Hayes: The following table shows the number of learners participating on further education courses in England by provider type in 2004/05 to 2008/09, the latest year for which full year data are available. Information is not available specifically for starts in January.
	
		
			  Participation on further education courses by provider type, 2004/05 to 2008/09 
			   2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09 
			 General FE colleges 2,960,300 2,632,200 2,204,300 2,205,700 2,430,600 
			 Total further education 5,712,500 5,022,400 4,231,900 4,360,700 4,837,100 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Information in this table is based on all Government-funded learners. 3.( )These data include FE, Apprenticeships/Work Based Learning, Adult Safeguarded Learning, Train to Gain and University for Industry funding streams. 4. All further education includes participation in general further education colleges, sixth form colleges, special colleges, private sector/public funded and other public funded providers i.e. local authorities and higher education institutions. 5. Figures for general further education colleges do not include sixth form colleges and special/specialist colleges.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of learners participating in further education is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 16 November 2010:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statistical firstrelease/sfr_current

Further Education: Transport

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made a recent estimate of the average cost of travel per day for a student at a further education institution in  (a) England and  (b) each region.

John Hayes: Research published in 2003 estimated the average travel costs per month for all students (young people and adults) attending further education institutions as £42 for full-time students and £21 for part-time students (DFES (2003) A study of learners in further education). No more recent estimate has been made, and no estimate has been made of average travel costs per day by region.

Further Education: Transport

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what financial assistance will be available to help students in further education meet travel costs in the academic year 2011-12.

John Hayes: As outlined in the strategy document 'Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth', published on 16 November 2010, the current arrangements for learner support will start to change from the 2011/12 academic year. An enhanced discretionary learner support fund will be created within the next two years. We will work closely with the sector on these changes to ensure funds are targeted on helping those learners facing financial difficulties. As with the current funding arrangements, this may include support for travel costs where local authority funding is not available.

Goldsmiths College

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the governance of Goldsmiths College; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Department has not received any representations on this matter.

Goldsmiths College

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research grants has his Department given to Goldsmiths College in each of the last five years; and for what projects.

David Willetts: This Department does not directly provide research grants to Goldsmiths College. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Arts and Humanities Research Council provided 38 grants for a range of research at a value of £8,368,310 in the period 2005-10.
	A full breakdown is as follows.
	
		
			  AHRC awards made at Goldsmiths College 2005 to 2010 
			  Start date  Principal investigator  Department  Project title  Amount awarded (£) 
			 1 April 2005 Professor Nicholas Thomas Department of Anthropology Melanesian art: objects, narratives and indigenous owners 530,221.00 
			  
			 1 April 2006 Professor Vikki Bell Department of Sociology 'Justice Demands' and the negotiated process of art-work production in Argentina and Northern Ireland 31,901.00 
			  
			 1 January 2007 Dr Andrea Phillips Department of Visual Arts Curating Architecture: researching the influence of architectural ideas in contemporary curatorial practice 153,730.00 
			  
			 1 March 2007 Professor Janis Jefferies Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles E-Static Shadows 146,873.00 
			  
			 1 September 2007 Dr Nirmal Puwar Department of Sociology Noise of the Past 165,938.00 
			  
			 12 January 2009 Professor Robert Gordon Pinter Centre for Performance and Creative Writing Beyond the Linear Narrative: Fractured Narratives in Writing and Performance in the Postcolonial Era 402,998.05 
			  
			 1 April 2009 Dr Gavin Butt Visual Cultures Performance Matters 349,665.00 
			  
			Total 1,781,326.05

Goldsmiths College

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much Goldsmiths College received from the public purse in each of the last five years; and how many  (a) staff and  (b) students it had in each such year.

David Willetts: The information is in the table.
	Total public funding has been defined as: tuition fee categories which are predominantly publicly funded; all Funding Council grants-including grants from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Training and Development Agency (TDA) and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA); and other grants from central Government and public bodies such as local authorities and health authorities, and the EU Commission.
	Higher education institutions have many other sources of income, such as research funding and donations so the total income of universities cannot be assumed from this table. More detailed breakdowns of income sources are published by HESA in volumes such as 'HE Finance Plus and Resources of Higher Education Institutions'.
	
		
			   Public income (£000)  Academic staff  Non-academic staff  Total staff (excluding atypical)  Higher education students 
			 2004/05 33,006 370 515 885 7,270 
			 2005/06 37,546 385 480 860 7,400 
			 2006/07 43,539 435 540 970 7,450 
			 2007/08 47,546 565 525 1,090 7,495 
			 2008/09 48,425 585 555 1,140 7,655 
			  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	Higher education students includes postgraduates and undergraduates Staff and student figures represent headcounts of students, rather than full-time equivalents.
	Atypical staff are those whose working arrangements are not permanent, involve complex employment relationships and/or involve work away from the supervision of the normal work provider.

Graduates: Teachers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to ensure that lectureships in further and higher education institutions remain an attractive career choice for graduates; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: Further education institutions are responsible for recruiting their own staff. Teaching in the FE sector is generally not a choice of first career for graduates. For the majority of teachers and trainers in the sector, it is a second or third career.
	The sector requires highly skilled professionals from all walks of working life-plumbers, engineers, technicians, beauty therapists-to have reached the stage of their first career where they have the capability and capacity to train future generations.
	Measures have been taken to enhance and recognise professional status. From September 2007 regulations have required all new teachers to the FE sector to be appropriately qualified in their own subject specialism and hold or work towards achieving the required teaching qualifications and gain qualified teaching learning skills (QTLS) status. Around 40% of FE teachers have a degree, but many hold a wide range of other qualifications that are relevant to their area of vocational expertise. Following the completion of their diploma in teaching, the teacher undergoes professional formation to demonstrate effective teaching practice in order to gain full professional status of qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS) which is conferred by the Institute for Learning (IfL).
	Higher education institutions are responsible for recruiting their own staff and promoting higher education as a positive career option, to graduates and others. The higher education sector has published a report outlining the benefits of working on the sector, which is available here
	http://www.ucea.ac.uk/objects_store/where_are_we_now._the_benefits_of_working_in_he.pdf
	The report highlighted the quality of working life in higher education and indicated it compared well with other sectors.
	However, the UK Government fund a number of dedicated postdoctoral fellowship schemes, notably national academy schemes, such as the University Research Fellowships, Newton International Fellowships, and Dorothy Hodgkins Fellowships, which seek to attract the best early career researchers from around the world to UK institutions. Research Councils UK (RCUK) are also working to ensure the quality of research skills is improved and that researcher training will become increasingly part of mainstream research practise.
	RCUK remains fully committed to the maintenance of a high level skills agenda through its research careers activities, support for the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. RCUK also recognises significant progress made by the sector since 2002.

Higher Education

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people were in higher education in  (a) England,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) Rossendale and Darwen constituency in each year from January 2005 to January 2010.

David Willetts: The latest available information on the numbers of enrolments from England, Lancashire local authority, and Rossendale and Darwen constituency on higher education courses at UK higher education institutions is shown in the table. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2011. Comparable figures for students enrolled on higher education courses at further education colleges are not available.
	The Department has recently received updated postcode information; therefore figures may not match those previously published.
	
		
			  Enrolments( 1)  from England( 2) , Lancashire local authority( 3)  and Rossendale and Darwen parliamentary constituency( 3) : UK higher education institutions( 4)  academic years 2004/05 to 2008/09 
			  Academic year  England  Lancashire  Rossendale and Darwen 
			 2004/05 1,433,010 37,815 2,815 
			 2005/06 1,466,660 38,045 2,860 
			 2006/07 1,461,895 38,710 2,915 
			 2007/08 1,454,995 31,900 2,515 
			 2008/09 1,504,500 34,340 2,765 
			 (1) Covers enrolments to all levels and modes of study. (2) Covers English-domiciled enrolments. (3) Excludes those enrolments whose local authority or constituency information could not be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (4) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of students across the time series.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Higher Education: Admissions

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people  (a) from low income families and  (b) in total resident in (i) West Ham constituency, (ii) Newham and (iii) London attended (A) university and (B) a Russell Group university in (1) 2008, (2) 2009 and (3) 2010.

David Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the table. Figures for young people from low income families are not available, therefore figures for young people from the bottom four socio-economic classes (SECs) has been provided as an alternative. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be available in January 2011, and for 2010/11 in January 2012.
	The Department has recently received updated postcode information therefore figures may not match those previously published. Due to issues with SEC data in 2008/09, figures in the answer are not comparable with SEC data for any earlier years.
	
		
			  Young( 1)  undergraduate enrolments by socio-economic class (SEC) and type of institution from West Ham parliamentary constituency( 2 ) , Newham local authority( 2)  and London Government office region( 2)  UK higher education institutions, academic year 2008/09 
			   SECs 4-7( 3)  All enrolments 
			   UK HEIs  Russell Group HEIs  UK HEIs  Russell Group HEIs 
			 West Ham 500 35 1,605 140 
			 Newham 1,350 95 4,285 370 
			 London 24,075 3,675 103,935 24,060 
			 (1) Covers enrolments under 21 years old.  (2) Excludes enrolments whose local area could not be established due to missing or invalid postcode information.  (3 )For all young undergraduate enrolments, 31% of data on SEC was missing.   Note:  Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five.   Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Higher Education: Pay

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the salary level of each vice-chancellor of a university.

David Willetts: The Department does not hold this information centrally. Higher education institutions are required to disclose remuneration of the head of institution in their financial statements.

Illegal Money Lending

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future funding of the illegal money lending project.

Edward Davey: The future of the illegal money lending project is currently being considered as we work through the implications of the spending review. We have carried out an in-depth evaluation of the project and will work to ensure any future funding builds on the report's recommendations, particularly in terms of securing even greater value for money and strengthen the governance of the project.

Industry: Academics

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the contribution to gross national product generated by collaboration between industry and academia.

David Willetts: The Department does not undertake estimates along the lines requested. However, overall, universities are estimated to be worth £59 billion(1) to the economy, putting the higher education sector ahead of agriculture, advertising, pharmaceutical and postal industries.
	(1) "The impact of universities on the UK economy, 4(th) edition, published in November 2009 by Universities UK"

Internet

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the Government's policy is on the principle of internet neutrality; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Government are absolutely committed to an open internet. The internet has brought huge economic and social benefits across the world precisely because of its openness, and that must continue.
	The Government expect all operators providing an internet access service-both fixed and mobile-to offer all legal content. Consumers should always be able to access any content or service they want to and content providers and applications should be able to access consumers. ISPs should not be able to discriminate unfairly against services or users. That means no blocking or discriminatory degradation of services or applications for commercial reasons.
	There is not yet any evidence that discriminatory practices are emerging, or that there is a problem with regards to how ISPs or networks manage the traffic that flows over them (something they all engage in for technical reasons to deliver the best possible service to consumers). And this is enforced by the initial responses to Ofcom's recent consultation on the issue. In addition, under new provisions in the Electronic Communications Framework review operators must present information about their service, including the nature and extent of their traffic management policies and their impact on service quality in a clear, visible and easy to understand form for all their customers.
	A contributing factor to the success of the internet has been the lack of legislative restraints that have been placed on it. It is our belief that improved transparency, along with a competitive market place and the ability to switch providers will mean that regulation in this area will be unnecessary. It is important that we give the market the opportunity to self regulate but Ofcom will closely monitor how the market develops and if it develops in an anti-competitive way they will intervene.

Manufacturing Industries: Qualifications

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to meet demand for manufacturing skills through the Business Improvement Techniques National Vocational Qualification.

John Hayes: The National Vocational Qualification in Business Improvement Techniques is available on the Qualifications and Credit Framework and has been developed with SEMTA, the Sector Skills Council for Engineering, to meet the skills needs of the sector. The Skills Funding Agency has confirmed funding for this qualification for this academic year and plans to confirm future funding arrangements by January 2011.

Office of Fair Trading: Competition Commission

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects of merging the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission on the time taken to complete investigatory procedures.

Edward Davey: In considering merging the Competition Commission with the competition functions of the Office of Fair Trading to create a single competition and markets authority, one of Government's primary aims is to deliver more streamlined and consistent processes for businesses that are subject to its investigations. The Government will fully consult on their proposals in the new year and will also publish a draft impact assessment for consultation.

Overseas Companies: Taxation

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if he will bring forward proposals to require UK-based companies to report on their tax liabilities in developing countries; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made on implementing country-by-country reporting on the financial affairs of multinational companies.

Edward Davey: The OECD's task force on tax and development is currently conducting a detailed examination of the issue of country-by-country reporting. This task force is expected to report within a year. The Government support this work and await the outcome. While this work is in progress we remain of the view that voluntary initiatives are effective tools.
	In addition the EU Commission has recently launched a public consultation to gather views on financial reporting on a country-by-country basis by multinational companies.

Overseas Students

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many non-EU students studied in the UK in the latest year for which figures are available; what estimate he has made of the contribution to the UK economy of such students in that year; and how much funding universities received from fees paid by such students.

David Willetts: In 2008/09, the latest year for which student numbers data are available, there were 251,310 students. This figure relates to students studying in higher education institutions and comes from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). It does not include students at further education colleges, English language schools and independent institutions.
	Limited data are available on the value of international (non-EU) students to the UK economy, particularly for students studying below higher education level. The Department has commissioned research seeking to address this, which is expected to be available early in 2011. Universities UK published a report entitled "The impact of universities on the UK Economy", in November 2009 which indicated that universities received £1.9 billion in funding from international student tuition fees in 2007/08 and estimated that international students contributed a further £2.3 billion to the economy in other expenditure.
	A copy of this report has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	The £1.9 billion figure from tuition fee funding comes from data collected by HESA. In 2008/09, the latest year for which student numbers data are available, universities received £2.2 billion in tuition fees from non-EU students.
	The figures for income from tuition fees and student enrolments refer to the academic year, and not the financial year.

Phoenix Companies

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to restrict the practice of establishing phoenix companies.

Edward Davey: Financial failure and wrongdoing should not be considered to be the same thing and the current legal framework seeks to strike the right balance between the interests of creditors and the need to promote entrepreneurial activity. A phoenix company does not necessarily involve wrongdoing. When a company fails, it may be that the directors offer the best price for the assets and that is the best deal for the creditors of the failed company. It may also provide opportunities for employees.
	However we must have a regime which enables appropriate action to be taken against those who are unfit to have the protection of limited liability. I assure my hon. Friend that we do have in place, and make use of, such a regime.
	In 2009-10 an average of just over five directors were disqualified every working day, removing them from the marketplace and making it safer for people to do business.

Post Offices

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the merits of establishing a Post Office Diversification Fund for England akin to those in operation in Scotland and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: "Securing the Post Office Network in the digital age" was published on 9 November 2010 and sets out this Government's strategy for the post office network over the spending review period. We are committed to the future of the network, and will develop new revenues for sub postmasters through the Post Office becoming a front office for Government, expanding its financial services offering, and modernising its network. This is supported by £1.34 billion of funding. There are no current plans to provide additional funding for a diversification fund in England.

Post Offices: ICT

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the Horizon computer programme; and what  (a) errors relating to the reconciliation of accounts were reported to his Department and  (b) remedial action was taken in the latest period for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: The performance of the Horizon computer system is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd.
	I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the right hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Research

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to continue to undertake research and development.

David Willetts: This Government are committed to working with partners in industry and academe to enhance the effectiveness of the innovation system to support successful UK innovation and we are considering the recommendations from Sir James Dyson's Report, "Ingenious Britain".
	We will consult with business in the autumn on the taxation of intellectual property and the support that R and D tax credits provide for innovation.
	We will continue to invest in business led technology innovation where there is greatest scope for boosting UK growth and productivity through the Technology Strategy Board and will incentivise our universities to work with industry. Through these measures, we are supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and enabling some of them to become the big businesses of tomorrow.
	We have also, through the spending review, provided over £200 million to establish a network of technology and innovation centres to help to commercialise new and emerging technologies.

Research: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2010,  Official Report, column 753W, on research and development, what his policy is on the EU target of 3% of gross domestic product to be spent on research and development.

David Willetts: The European Council endorsed in June the EU target of spending 3% of EU gross domestic product on research and development by 2020. At the national level we will be monitoring business expenditure on research and development as an indicator of UK research and development activity.

South East England Development Agency

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of assets owned by the South East England Development Agency in Medway following the closure of that Agency.

Mark Prisk: As set out in the White Paper on local growth, regional development agency assets and liabilities will be disposed of in line with a clear set of shared principles which include a key aim of achieving the best possible outcome for the region consistent with achieving value to the public purse.

Students: Fees and Charges

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the long-term future of the cap on university tuition fees; under what circumstances higher education institutions may disregard the cap; and how he expects application of the real interest taper to affect  (a) educational institutions and  (b) students attending such institutions.

David Willetts: The Government have set out progressive plans for reforms to higher education and student finance to ensure that we maintain England's world class university sector.
	We are proposing a basic threshold of £6,000 a year for tuition charges, and it will be up to individual HEIs to decide what they charge up to this level, including whether they charge different levels for different courses.
	Universities or colleges wishing to charge students more than £6,000 a year, up to a ceiling of £9,000, will be expected to draw up an access agreement with the Office for Fair Access in order to widen participation in higher education.
	We do not believe that our proposals to apply the real interest rate taper will affect educational institutions. The progressive real interest taper will affect those borrowers who are due to repay, and are earning over £21,000. For graduates earning below £21,000, the real rate of interest will remain at zero. For graduates earning between £21,000 and around £41,000, a real rate of interest will be tapered in to reach a maximum of inflation plus 3%, subject to parliamentary approval.

Students: Income

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the average annual income of undergraduate students; and if he will publish the figures his Department collates on undergraduate income.

David Willetts: The Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2007/08, published on the 21 April 2009, includes estimates of the income of undergraduate higher education students attending higher education institutions and further education colleges in England and Wales. The full report will be placed in the Libraries of the House and is available on the BIS website:
	www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/migratedd/publications/d/dius_rr_09_05.pdf
	Full-time England-domiciled students' average (mean) total income during the 2007/08 academic year was £10,425. Part-time England-domiciled students received around 30% more than full-timers, on average, with a total income of £13,511-higher due to their greater earnings from paid work during the academic year.

Students: Loans

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely change in credit default rates among further education students resulting from taking out loans to cover the full cost of tuition fees in each of the next three years; and what guidance his Department has issued to further education colleges on steps to mitigate the adverse effects on them of any such change.

John Hayes: "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth" (16 November 2010) sets out the funding strategy for post-19 further education (FE) and skills. This includes the introduction of new fee loans from the 2013/14 academic year, providing the opportunity for FE learners to access the funds they need to gain intermediate and higher-level skills. We recognise that this is a significant reform and that is why we will over the next few months engage with colleges, training organisations and others on the details of how fee loans will be implemented. The changes will be phased in over the spending review period to provide the sector with sufficient time to plan effectively.
	We have however, set out the key principles that we propose to base the implementation of fee loans in FE. One of principles is that the loan will be repaid on an income contingent basis in line with the recently announced approach for higher education fee loans. This includes a repayment threshold of £21,000 and writing off any outstanding loan amount after a period of 30 years.
	We have assumed that as with higher education, the repayment of these loans will be handled through HM Revenue and Customs so there will be limited scope for default for those earning over the repayment threshold.

Teesside Cast Products

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what  (a) meetings and  (b) discussions his Department has had with representatives of SSI Ltd on its proposed purchase of Tata Steel Europe's Teesside Cast Products business.

Mark Prisk: On 8 November I met with Win Viriyaprapaikit, President of Sahaviriya Steel Industries public company limited (SSI).
	In addition, since the announcement of the Memorandum of Understanding on the potential sale of Teesside Cast Products was announced on 27 August, the British embassy in Bangkok has had a number of discussions with SSI officials. The new UK ambassador has subsequently met with Mr Viriyaprapaikit here in the UK on 29 October and in Bangkok on 16 November. The ambassador will also be accompanying the Thai Minister for Foreign Affairs on a visit to Teesside Cast Products on 27 November.
	Furthermore BIS officials held an introductory meeting with representatives of SSI and their consultants on 26 October and have continued to maintain contact with them as necessary.

UK Trade and Investment: Manpower

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff who are  (a) employed by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and  (b) undertaking UKTI-related work for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are based in each country.

Mark Prisk: UKTI is not an employer in its own right; for the majority of its human resource requirements it draws on civil service staff employed by one or other of its two parent departments-the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). UKTI has Overseas Trade Teams in 96 markets representing some 98% of global GDP. The numbers of FCO people directly recorded as working on UKTI activities is shown in the following table (these are shown as full time equivalents).
	
		
			  Market  FTE slots 
			 Abu Dhabi 9 
			 Algeria 3.1 
			 Angola 2.2 
			 Argentina 6.95 
			 Australia 29.73 
			 Austria 6.85 
			 Azerbaijan 2.07 
			 Bahrain 4.2 
			 Bangladesh 3.9 
			 Barbados 3.3 
			 Belgium 9.71 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.1 
			 Brazil 37.53 
			 Bulgaria 5.1 
			 Canada 30.15 
			 Chile 6.2 
			 China 109.37 
			 Colombia 5.1 
			 Costa Rica 1.95 
			 Croatia 3.1 
			 Cuba 2.3 
			 Cyprus 3.15 
			 Czech Republic 11.4 
			 Denmark 9.93 
			 Dominican Republic 2.05 
			 Dubai 14 
			 Ecuador 1.7 
			 Egypt 10.9 
			 Estonia 5.5 
			 Ethiopia 2.1 
			 Finland 8.88 
			 France 37.45 
			 Germany 40.98 
			 Ghana 4.1 
			 Greece 8.2 
			 Hong Kong 23.37 
			 Hungary 11 
			 Iceland 2.27 
			 India 86.05 
			 Indonesia 12.1 
			 Iraq 4 
			 Ireland 8.5 
			 Israel 7.58 
			 Italy 25.31 
			 Jamaica 3.08 
			 Japan 50.29 
			 Jordan 6.05 
			 Kazakhstan 5.1 
			 Kenya 4.1 
			 Kuwait 7.9 
			 Latvia 3.1 
			 Lebanon 3 
			 Libya 6.1 
			 Lithuania 3.15 
			 Malaysia 17.4 
			 Mexico 29.6 
			 Morocco 5 
			 Netherlands 8.87 
			 New Zealand 6.95 
			 Nigeria 12 
			 Norway 10.27 
			 Oman 6.2 
			 Pakistan 7.97 
			 Panama 2.15 
			 Peru 4.1 
			 Philippines 7.65 
			 Poland 16.93 
			 Portugal 10.2 
			 Qatar 7 
			 Romania 9.48 
			 Russia 29.71 
			 Saudi Arabia 28.1 
			 Serbia 3.45 
			 Singapore 18.47 
			 Slovakia 4.1 
			 Slovenia 2.15 
			 South Africa 21.35 
			 South Korea 20.35 
			 Spain 28.2 
			 Sri Lanka 2.7 
			 Sudan 1.1 
			 Sweden 13.03 
			 Switzerland 10.6 
			 Syria 5.15 
			 Taiwan 17.5 
			 Tanzania 2.1 
			 Thailand 14.67 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 2.65 
			 Tunisia 2.7 
			 Turkey 18.9 
			 Uganda 2.1 
			 Ukraine 3.4 
			 UKREP Brussels 5 
			 United States of America 122.5 
			 Venezuela 5.3 
			 Vietnam 14.15 
			 Yemen 1.05 
			 Total 1,278.55 
		
	
	In the markets where there is no UKTI Trade Team, FCO staff provide political support in-market to UK companies.

Union Learning Fund

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding he plans to provide for the Union Learning Fund in each year of the Spending Review period.

John Hayes: The Union Learning Fund (ULF) and unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation have achieved real success in helping thousands of workers improve their skills, particularly in reaching out to those who are poorly qualified and most in need of support.
	In 2009-10 over 233,000 learners in workplaces across the country were helped back into learning by unionlearn and the Union Learning Fund.
	That is why we have set out in "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth" the Government's commitment to continue to support unionlearn and the Union Learning Fund by investing £21.5 million in the 2011-12 financial year. This will enable unionlearn to build on the impressive track record of union learning representatives and the Union Learning Fund in promoting and supporting learning in the workplace, especially in reaching out to those who are poorly-qualified and most in need of support.
	The level of support for the remainder of the spending review period has not yet been decided.

Union Learning Fund

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding from the public purse was provided to the Union Learning Fund in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

John Hayes: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provides funding to support the Union Learning Fund (ULF) and unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation, which administers the fund on behalf of the Department. The main purpose of this budget is to enable trade unions and union learning representatives (ULRs) to work with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage greater take up of learning and raise skill levels in the workplace. All ULF projects are bound by contracts with defined learning targets and outcomes and are subject to independent audit. Annual expenditure in each of the last five financial years has been as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2005-06 15.4 
			 2006-07 16.9 
			 2007-08 18.4 
			 2008-09 21.4 
			 2009-10 21.5 
		
	
	Unions and their ULRs play a significant role in helping adults, particularly those who are poorly qualified and with no background in continuing their education, to become engaged and more confident with learning and improve their skills. In 2009-10 over 233,000 learners in workplaces across the country were helped back into learning by the Union Learning Fund and union learning representatives.

University and College Union: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has received recent reports of allegations of incidents of anti-Semitism in the University and College Union; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: I have received no reports of allegations of incidents of anti-Semitism in the University and College Union (UCU).
	The UCU, as a trade union, is independent from Government. The UCU is responsible for investigating any allegations of anti-Semitism it receives involving the union.

University Challenge

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the University Challenge projects.

David Willetts: Full details of the spending envelope for higher education, including whether there is an allocation of funds for the 'University Challenge' project will be published in the forthcoming Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) grant letter, which will be issued by January 2011.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Children

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of children in Afghanistan who died before the age of five years owing to factors other than military or terrorist action in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: According to the National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 2007-08 the under-five mortality rate in Afghanistan is 161 per 1,000, which means that five out of every six children are surviving to their fifth birthday. These figures do not discount those children who have died because of military or terrorist action. Official figures are not publicly available.

Africa: Famines

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take to promote the application of new agricultural technology to tackle famine in Africa.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) will continue to invest in the development of new agriculture technology and its widespread application in Africa. Speeding up the transfer of technology to farmers, such as new farming techniques and more resilient crops and livestock varieties, is vital in reducing their vulnerability to a wide range of threats.
	DFID supports the work of two public-private partnerships, the Global Alliance for Livestock Vaccine and Medicines, and the African Agriculture Technology Foundation which are speeding up the development and marketing of new technology based on existing research. This includes new vaccines for major animal diseases and plant varieties which are drought and pest resistant.
	We also support the Research into Use project, which has been successful in working with the private sector to promote the use of new varieties of crops such as maize, beans, cowpea, cassava and sweet potatoes, and improved fertilizer blends in six African countries. It is projected that up to 56 million farmers will benefit from the work of this project.

Agriculture: Food Supply

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the US Administration's policy on agricultural development and food security as part of its Feed the Future initiative.

Stephen O'Brien: The Secretary of State has had a number of discussions with Rajiv Shah, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, on agricultural development and food security, most recently at the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund at the beginning of October. Discussions have included the US Feed the Future initiative.
	We agree with our US counterparts that continued high-level international leadership in this area is important, as is ensuring that efforts to increase agricultural productivity in developing countries leads to a reduction in malnutrition, particularly in pregnant women and young children. We also agree on the importance of being able to demonstrate results from increased donor investment in agriculture and food security.

Departmental Grants

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which non-governmental organisations were funded by his Department in each of the last two years; how much funding was provided to each in each such year; what conditions were applied to the use of such funding; what the funding was used for in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports non-government organisations (NGOs) through a range of centrally managed funds and through DFID's country programmes. Details of funds provided to UK-based NGOs in 2009-10 through these different channels can be found in table 19 of Statistics on International Development 2010, which is available in the Library of the House and on the DFID website. Details of funding to NGOs based in other countries and the specific purpose and conditions attached to all funding to NGOs cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs. However, further details of all DFID projects, including those delivered by NGOs, can be found on the project database on our website.
	Each of DFID's funding schemes for civil society organisations has different criteria and a specific application process. However once funding has been agreed there are a number of conditions that DFID applies to all NGOs. For example they are required to provide quarterly financial reports, a copy of their annual audited accounts and annual reports detailing progress made against agreed objectives. Funds can be used only to support activities and objectives agreed with DFID. All NGOs are also required to produce a project evaluation and project completion reports.
	In addition, the UK Government are introducing a new Aid Transparency Guarantee, which commits us to making our aid fully transparent to citizens in both the UK and developing countries, increasing accessibility and feedback, and pushing our international partners to follow our lead. Under this guarantee we will publish full and detailed information on our projects and programmes on our website-in a standardised, accessible format so that it can be freely used by third parties.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's international development goals of the operation of the US Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Stephen O'Brien: The US Securities and Exchange Commission has yet to complete the series of regulatory initiatives required under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that will determine the Act's impact.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether all countries in receipt of developmental aid will receive a cash increase in funding proportionate to the proposed increase in his Department's budget from £7.8 billion in 2010 to £11.5 billion by 2015.

Alan Duncan: No. The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently reviewing all spending through country and regional programmes to ensure we focus our resources where we can achieve the most impact. We will close or reduce the size of programmes where we judge that a country no longer requires substantial aid. The Secretary of State has previously announced that UK bilateral aid programmes in China and Russia will close. Consequently not all countries will receive a cash increase in funding. Allocations to each country will be determined by the conclusions of the Bilateral Aid Review early next year.

Developing Countries: Food

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on steps to prevent future unstable fluctuations in the price of food in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: Food prices are determined by supply and demand. A growing population will increase the demand for food in years to come. Our policy seeks to match this growing demand for food by working with others to increase the supply of food in developing countries at a price that poor people can afford, for example by funding agricultural research.
	We also aim to reduce food price volatility by working internationally, particularly with other members of the G20, to liberalise trade and make commodity markets function more efficiently. We are doing this by promoting greater sharing of information on existing stocks, and discouraging disruptive actions such as export bans and panic buying, which limit supplies and drive up prices.

Developing Countries: Food

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) risk assessment and  (b) contingency plans he has made in respect of future spikes in the price of food in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: The Government monitor international food supplies and price movements carefully. Our current assessment is that despite poor weather in southern Russia and Ukraine earlier this year, other regions of the world did well, and contributed to 2010 having the third largest cereals harvest on record. Global supplies remain adequate to meet expected demand, and available data and past evidence suggest that there is unlikely to be a shortage of food over the coming year. However prices remain higher than they were at the start of the year, reflecting the tighter supply situation.
	We are working with others, particularly G20 partners, to seek to avoid a price spike similar to the one seen in 2008. This involves urging greater trade liberalisation, promoting greater sharing of information on existing stocks, and discouraging disruptive actions such as export bans and panic buying, which limit supplies and drive up prices. G8 countries have also pledged to support the L'Aquila Food Security Initiative to increase food supplies in developing countries, and make markets work more effectively. In 2008 high prices affected developing countries differently, and any international response to a further price spike would have to be on a case by case basis.

Developing Countries: Food

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on food aid in the financial years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) spending on food aid in financial years 2006-07 to 2008-09 was published in the additional tables made available as part of the 2010 edition of 'Statistics on International Development'. This publication and the additional tables are available in the Library of the House and on DFID's website.
	In addition DFID made core contributions to a range of multilateral organisations a proportion of which was also spent on food aid programmes.
	The relevant figures are reproduced in the following tables:
	
		
			  DFID bilateral expenditure on food aid 
			  £ million 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Food aid and food security programmes 19.3 35.8 51.1 
			 Emergency food aid 18.1 11.6 80.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Imputed DFID share of multilateral expenditure on food aid 
			  £ million 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Food aid and food security programmes 26.5 19.2 14.0 
			 Emergency food aid 13.3 27.0 31.7

Developing Countries: Food

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect of financial speculation on food prices in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: While it is impossible to draw definitive conclusions, it is unlikely that financial speculation has a significant effect on food prices in developing countries. Food price movements such as those seen in 2008 can be better explained by other factors such as local supply shortages, low international stocks, uncertainty about the size of the global harvest, a weak dollar, very high energy prices and export restrictions imposed by some countries.

Developing Countries: Food

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of threats to food security in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: Threats to food security come from a variety of sources, and over different time periods. In the short-term, countries heavily dependent on imports to meet their food supply needs are most vulnerable to price volatility on the international commodity markets. In 2008 this was the case in many West African countries heavily dependent on rice imported from Asia. Countries which are more self-sufficient in food are vulnerable to local harvest failure, as happened in the Sahel earlier this year.
	In the longer term, slow economic growth, rising populations, and climate change pose the greatest threats to food security in developing countries. The Government remain committed to improving the food security of developing countries in collaboration with G8 and G20 partners.

Developing Countries: Human Rights

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department makes the allocation of aid to countries conditional on the upholding of standards of treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in those countries.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has a strong commitment to human rights, including equal treatment of ethnic and religious minorities. In taking decisions on the provision of aid to any country, DFID considers the Government's commitment to human rights, poverty reduction, accountability and combating corruption, as well as the level of development and humanitarian need.
	DFID is reviewing its bilateral aid programmes to ensure that we target UK aid where it is needed most and will make the most significant impact on poverty reduction. The review will consider which countries should receive aid, how much they should receive and which countries should stop receiving it.

Energy: Export Credit Guarantees

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the monetary value of projects in the  (a) coal,  (b) oil,  (c) gas,  (d) wind,  (e) solar and  (f) nuclear energy sectors underwritten by the Export Credits Guarantee Department since June 2010.

Edward Davey: I have been asked to reply.
	ECGD did not provide support to any projects in the coal, oil, wind, solar or nuclear energy sectors between June and November 2010. It supported one gas project, the UK contract value of which was £14.47 million.

EU Aid: Fossil Fuels

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has provided funding through the EU aid budget for overseas projects involving the extraction and transport of fossil fuels in the last five years.

Stephen O'Brien: In the past five years, the Department for International Development (DFID) has not given earmarked funds through the European Commission (EC) aid budget expressly for investments in projects for the extraction and transportation of fossil fuels.
	DFID has provided capital and funding through the EC which has been pooled with resources from other shareholders and donors. Based on EC reports to the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), DFID's share of multilateral net imputed aid marked as Official Development Assistance (ODA) and channelled through the European Commission in the energy sector has amounted to £7.55 million over the last five years for which figures are available (2004-05 to 2008-09): £4.55 million contributed to gas distribution, while £2.99 million contributed to gas-fired power plants.

Palestinians: EU Aid

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the EU donated in aid to the Palestinian territories in each of the last three years; what conditions were applied to such aid; what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the President of the European Council and  (b) Cabinet colleagues on aid to the Palestinian territories; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: European Union (EU) financial commitments to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) totalled €518.41 million in 2009, €497.76 million in 2008, and €563.28 million in 2007. EU assistance to the OPTs is funded and disbursed via a variety of instruments and mechanisms. These, together with the policy considerations and any conditions which apply to such funding, are set out on the OPTs pages of the EC website.
	Ministers regularly discuss the Middle East peace process and UK support to the OPTs. All UK aid is currently under review. There have been no discussions between Department for International Development Ministers and the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, on aid to the OPTs. UK officials are in regular contact with their EU counterparts regarding their respective aid programmes.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he  (a) is taking and  (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to ensure that (i) financial and (ii) aid donations to the Palestinian territories are used for their intended purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: UK aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories is subject to the highest levels of scrutiny. We conduct regular fiduciary risk assessments to assess the risk of funds being misspent and identify appropriate safeguards. Our funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is administered through a World Bank managed trust fund, which strictly controls how funds are used and has stringent audit requirements. For aid other than financial assistance to the PA, we work with all partners on project design to ensure that UK funding will be spent most effectively. Our partners are United Nations agencies and reputable non-governmental organisations with proven track records in effective delivery.
	In line with the Department for International Development's (DFID's) commitment to enhance aid transparency and value for money, from January 2011 details of all spending over £500 will be published on the DFID website. Aid projects will also be subject to additional scrutiny by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact which will be set up by June 2011.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he  (a) is taking and  (b) plans to take to ensure the effective use by the Palestinian Authority of financial assistance from his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: Financial assistance from the UK to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is delivered through a Trust Fund administered by the World Bank. This makes disbursements to the PA conditional on progress in reforms to improve the efficiency of spending and reduce their need for aid in the future. The Department for International Development also provides technical assistance to the PA Ministry of Finance to help them strengthen public financial management. In addition, the UK-PA Memorandum of Understanding makes our financial assistance conditional upon the PA meeting benchmarks for reducing poverty, respecting human rights and strengthening public financial management.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department allocated in aid to the Palestinian territories in each of the last three years; whether any conditions were placed on the disbursement of such aid; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: UK bilateral aid in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) reported in Statistics on International Development 2010 totalled £57.6 million in 2009-10, £41.3 million in 2008-09 and £45 million in 2007-08. This does not include our funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which operates in the OPTs as well as in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Funding to UNRWA was £24.9 million in 2009-10; £19 million in 2008-09; and £15.6 million in 2007-08.
	This aid was delivered in line with general UK policy on conditionality, which is that our aid should be based on three partnership principles with partner governments: poverty reduction and meeting the Millennium Development Goals; respecting human rights and other international obligations; and strengthening financial management and accountability, and reducing the risk of funds being misused through weak administration or corruption. We do not use conditions to impose specific policy choices on recipient countries.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Access to Work Programme

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consultation was undertaken before the new Access to Work guidance was issued; and by what mechanisms the effects of the new guidance are being monitored.

Maria Miller: In February 2009 DWP officials held a series of focus groups across the country with a number of key external stakeholders, including disability charities, business groups and ethnic minority groups about plans to refocus the Access to Work programme. There was general agreement about the value of the service that Access to Work provides but that the programme should be more flexible; more available to those who are in need of most help; and that larger employers could contribute more. These changes were announced in December 2009.
	Access to Work guidance has for many years specified that funding cannot be provided for standard equipment that an employer would need to provide for any employee to do their jobs. A revised list of equipment has been included in the most recent version of Access to Work guidance in order to assist advisers in making operational decisions on each case under consideration for funding and help ensure consistency across the country. This list will be updated from time to time to ensure it reflects latest developments. The list of examples provided is not exhaustive and advisers have the discretion to identify other types of equipment as standard for a particular industry or occupation.
	The Access to Work programme is kept under constant review, to ensure that it remains effective, efficient and value for money.

Carer's Allowance

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of people caring for a person who is receiving the middle rate care component of disability living allowance who are not in receipt of carer's allowance.

Maria Miller: We are unable to estimate the number of people caring for a person receiving the middle rate care component of disability living allowance who are not in receipt of carer's allowance. This is because estimating the take-up of carer's allowance would require combining information in relation to the carer's allowance eligibility criteria about both the disabled person and their carer, who may not be part of the same household.
	To receive carer's allowance, a person must be caring for someone who receives either attendance allowance or disability living allowance care component at the middle or highest rate. In addition, the carer must not have earnings from employment of more than £100 a week after deduction of allowable expenses, and must not be in full-time education. In consequence, receipt of the disability living allowance care component at the middle rate by the disabled person does not necessarily automatically qualify their carer for carer's allowance.

Cold Weather Payments: Westmorland

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance his Department provides to  (a) pensioners,  (b) benefit recipients and  (c) other vulnerable individuals resident in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency in meeting the cost of their fuel needs; and what steps he is taking to ensure that people not in receipt of a state pension or other benefit administered by his Department are aware of the help available to them.

Steve Webb: Pensioners in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, along with other individuals who have reached women's state pension age, will receive a winter fuel payment to help meet the cost of their winter fuel needs. Households with someone aged up to 79 will receive £250 while those households with someone aged 80 or over receive £400.
	Cold weather payments of £25 a week are paid to those on pension credit in periods of very cold weather. Recipients of other income-related benefits such as income related employment and support allowance may also be entitled to a cold weather payment if they have a pensioner or disability premium included in their benefit, or they have a child who is either disabled or under the age of five in the family.
	Disabled people can face extra costs but, by and large, these needs arise all year round. Benefits such as disability living allowance and the disability premiums and elements in the income-related benefits provide additional weekly payments and are related to the individual's circumstances.
	We are working to ensure that people are aware of, and take up their entitlements through initiatives such as: using data matching to identify those who may be entitled to, but not currently receiving, benefits; home visits for vulnerable customers; a simple and straight-forward claim process; closer working with partner organisations and our media campaigns. For example, an article was published in the Cumberland and Westmorland Gazette on 20 November 2010 reminding people that they will soon receive winter fuel payments and explaining what they should do if they needed to make a claim.
	The Department for Work and Pensions also works closely with other Government Departments on the 'Keep Warm Keep Well' campaign, which is aimed at vulnerable households in England and gives information on the health benefits of keeping warm in winter and details of the grants and benefits available.

Communication: Young People

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its non-departmental public bodies spent on  (a) telecommunications-based,  (b) literature-based,  (c) electronic,  (d) television and  (e) other campaigns and communications targeted at young people aged between 16 and 24 years in respect of (i) employment, (ii) training opportunities and (iii) welfare in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The latest period for which figures are available relating to communications spend by DWP covers April 2010 to September 2010. During this period, DWP spent £6,225 on electronic communications, specifically to engage young people to help them find their first job. In addition, the Department spent £211,533.72 on providing literature-based information to people of working age. It is not possible to define the proportion of this spend relating specifically to the engagement of young people, as this information is aimed at everyone of working age.
	With regard to activity delivered by NDPBs, Remploy is the only body to have incurred expenditure during the relevant financial period. Remploy has incurred spend on  (b) literature-based materials for young people aged between 16 and 24 years on (i) employment of £817.

Departmental Sick Leave

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2010,  Official Report, column 908W, on departmental sick leave, what assessment he has made of the reasons for regional variations in average rates of sickness in his Department and its agencies.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions assesses variances in average rates of sickness at office and agency level. The Department has succeeded in reducing sickness absence from an average of 11.1 days per employee in 2007 to 8.3 days per employee currently. This has been achieved through compliance with policy, sharing best practice and, where necessary, by focusing additional efforts in under performing offices.
	The Department has not, therefore, made an assessment on the reasons for regional variances in average rates of sickness.

Disability Living Allowance: Medical Examinations

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what criteria the objective assessment of disability living allowance applications is made; and how that assessment differs from his Department's previously proposed medical assessments for that allowance.

Maria Miller: Entitlement to disability living allowance (DLA) depends on the effects that disability has on a person's life and not on a particular disability or diagnosis. This means that people living with the same illnesses or disabilities may not necessarily have the same care or mobility needs. The current entitlement conditions can be open to interpretation which can lead to inconsistent and subjective decisions about benefit entitlement. It does not always focus support on those who need it most.
	As set out in Budget 2010, the Government intend to introduce a new assessment for disability living allowance to allow us to more accurately, objectively and consistently assess individuals to determine who is likely to benefit most from additional support. The Department remains committed to the social model of disability and it is not our intention that the new assessment will just be based on the medical model of disability and focused solely on an individual's impairment.
	We are not intending to introduce any other assessments in addition to this.
	We are currently in the process of developing the new assessment with the help of an independent group of specialists in health care, social care and disability, which includes disabled people. We are planning to consult publicly on our proposals later this year.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funds have been made available from his Department's budget to assist the implementation of the recommendations of the work capability assessment independent review led by Professor Malcolm Harrington.

Chris Grayling: Professor Harrington's independent review of the work capability assessment (WCA) was published on 23 November, alongside the Government's response. The Government response fully accepted the substantial series of recommendations put forward by Professor Harrington.
	While we are fully committed to doing this, we have not yet established exactly what funds will be needed to implement the Government's response. Many of the changes are already planned in the design of IB (IS) reassessment. We agree with Professor Harrington's assessment that as these changes are implemented they will reduce costs.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many placements have been commissioned under the Work Choice programme;
	(2)  how many placements he expects to be commissioned under the Work Choice programme by 2015.

Chris Grayling: Work Choice contracted delivery will support around 79,000 people over the life of the contracts. This includes 66,000 new starters plus a further 13,000 former Workstep customers, who will continue to be supported within Work Choice.
	Figures for Work Choice delivered by Remploy cover the remaining two and a half year period of the modernisation plan, which goes up to 2012-13. During this period Remploy will support around 70,500 people. This includes 59,500 new starters plus a further 11,000 former Workstep customers, who will continue to be supported within Work Choice.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms are in place in the Work Programme to encourage employers to recruit people with disabilities.

Chris Grayling: The Work Programme will give providers the freedom to design personalised support that delivers for all participants, including those with a disability. It will also operate a differential pricing system which will ensure it is worthwhile for providers to support all customer groups back into work.
	We are expecting providers to engage with local partners, including employers, in order to deliver an effective localised service to our customers.
	Additionally, all providers offering employment support on behalf of the Department will be required under the Equality Act 2010 to give due regard to promoting disability equality in the exercise of their duties, which will include supporting disabled people into employment.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which of the recommendations of the work capability assessment independent review led by Professor Malcolm Harrington he expects to have been fully implemented before the national migration from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance begins in April 2011.

Chris Grayling: Professor Harrington's independent review of the work capability assessment (WCA) was published on 23 November, alongside the Government's response. The Government response fully accepted the substantial series of recommendations put forward by Professor Harrington.
	The Department is committed to a programme of continuous improvement, working with the stakeholders to ensure the customer journey is as smooth as possible. While there is still considerable work to be done in order to accurately determine time scales we remain confident of being able to get the key recommendations implemented by April 2011. The obvious exceptions to this are the programme of work for the second independent review Professor Harrington has set out, which he will take forward over the next year.

Housing Benefit

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of households in  (a) Newcastle Upon Tyne North constituency,  (b) the North East and  (c) England likely to be affected by the proposed changes to housing benefit;
	(2)  how many households he estimates will experience a reduction in their housing benefit as a result of his proposals on housing benefit arrangements in  (a) Newcastle North constituency,  (b) the North East and  (c) England.

Steve Webb: The Department published a document on "Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12". This includes information at the local authority level. A copy of the documents has been placed in the Library.
	We will publish a document on the impacts of the proposed changes to the shared room rate in due course, which will include information at the local authority level. A more detailed equality impact assessment will be published in the normal way, once the detail of the policy has been finalised to accompany the amending regulations.

Housing Benefit

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect on those in receipt of local housing allowance of his proposals for changes to the allowance.

Steve Webb: On 23 July the Department published a document on 'Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12', which includes analysis at the local authority level, and a separate equality impact assessment. A copy of the documents has been placed in the Library.
	The Department will publish a full impact assessment for the 2011-12 changes to the local housing allowance arrangements when it lays the relevant legislation in November 2010.
	The Department is intending to carry out evaluation and monitoring to cover the impact of the housing benefit measures. The precise form will depend upon the resources that are available, but we anticipate that it will include independent research examining the effects on different types of households in a range of areas across Great Britain.

Housing Benefit: Aberdeenshire

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average amount of housing benefit paid to local authority tenants in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the average amount of local housing allowance paid to local authority tenants in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what the average amount of housing benefit paid to housing association tenants in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(4)  what the average amount of local housing allowance paid to housing association tenants in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(5)  what the average amount of housing benefit paid to private sector tenants in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(6)  what the average amount of local housing allowance paid to private sector tenants in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(7)  what proportion of  (a) housing benefit and  (b) local housing allowance recipients in (i) local authority, (ii) housing association and (iii) private sector housing in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City were also in receipt of (A) jobseeker's allowance and (B) employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information requested on housing benefit claimants also in receipt of either jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen city is not available.
	Information is collected on the number of claimants in receipt of a passported benefit, which includes income-based jobseeker's allowance and income- based employment support allowance. However neither the total number of jobseeker's allowance claimants nor the total number of employment support allowance claimants receiving housing benefit is available.
	The information requested on the average amount of local housing allowance paid to local authority and housing association tenants is not available.
	Local housing allowance was introduced in the private deregulated sector from April 2008.
	The latest available figures (August 2010) on the average weekly amount of housing benefit in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen city are as follows, by tenure.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Aberdeen city  Aberdeenshire 
			 Local authority tenant 56.03 53.78 
			 Registered social landlord tenant 62.91 62.70 
			 All private tenants 102.06 98.96 
			 Private deregulated tenant (LHA) 102.05 109.48 
			  Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 3. Local housing allowance tenants (LHA) may include a small number of non-LHA cases making a new claim since 7 April 2008. This will include recipients in caravan accommodation. 4. These data incorporate the local authority changes from 1 April 2009. 5. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data are available monthly from November 2008 and August 2010 are the most recent available. 6. Average awards are shown as pounds per week and rounded to the nearest penny. 7. Tenure type does not include recipients with unknown tenure type. 8. Housing association tenants are now registered social landlord tenants.  Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE)-August 2010

Housing Benefit: Fife

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Fife receive local housing allowance.

Steve Webb: As at August 2010, our records show that there are 4,300 people receiving the local housing allowance in Fife.

Housing Benefit: Finance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2010,  Official Report, column 911W, on housing benefit: finance, if he will place in the Library a copy of the data on the amounts and monetary values of all historical data and internal forecast assumptions referred to.

Steve Webb: The methodology used for the costing of the Budget measures was published at the June Budget and are available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_costings.pdf
	Detailed assessments will be published to accompany the draft legislation.

Housing Benefit: Social Security Benefits

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in receipt of housing benefit in each local authority area include at least one person in receipt of  (a) (i) long-term and (ii) short-term incapacity benefit and  (b) severe disablement allowance.

Steve Webb: The information is not yet available.
	Information is collected on claimants' income from long-term and short-term incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance on the new single housing benefit extract. However this information has not yet been quality assured to National Statistics standard, and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Lone Parents: Social Security Benefits

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) men and  (b) women will be affected by the changes to lone parent conditionality announced in the June 2010 Budget by 2014-15.

Maria Miller: By the end of 2014-15, the Department for Work and Pensions estimates that there will have been around 300,000 lone parents with children over the age of five affected by the changes to conditionality announced in the June 2010 Budget. Of these, it is estimated that over 90% will be women.
	A framework of flexibilities and support is in place to help lone parents balance their caring responsibilities and work search. This includes access to specialist advisers in Jobcentre Plus who can provide advice on child care, local employers with flexible working vacancies, and financial incentives; the right to restrict availability for work to the child's normal school hours where the youngest child is 12 or under; and enabling lone parents to be deemed available for work during school holidays if appropriate, affordable child care is not available.
	Lone parents will also be helped by the universal credit which aims to make sure that all amounts of work will be more financially rewarding than inactivity, and remove the current barriers to small amounts of work. Improving the incentives to take up mini-jobs, for example, will particularly help those who are not able to take up full-time employment. Promoting a culture of employment will not only help those individuals but will also tackle the intergenerational cycles of worklessness and welfare dependency.

National Employment Savings Trust Scheme

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the effect on small companies with fewer than 10 employees of the requirement for them to contribute to employees' National Employment Savings Trust.

Steve Webb: Based on the Making Automatic Enrolment Work review recommendation thresholds, and full employer compliance, we expect between 2.3 million and 2.6 million of the automatically-enrolled population to work for employers with fewer than 10 employees. These individuals make up 17% to 18% of the automatically-enrolled population.
	The effect on small businesses of the Workplace Pension Reform Regulations is set out in the 2010 impact assessment. The impact assessment looks at the impact on employers by employer size, looking specifically at small employers (defined as those with fewer than 50 workers) and micro employers (defined as those with fewer than five workers). Annex A presents the detailed assessment, as well as elements of the reforms that are designed to help small and micro employers.
	Copies of the impact assessment can be found in the Commons Library or at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/772/pdfs/uksiem_20100772_en.pdf
	An independent review of the workplace pension reforms "Making automatic enrolment work" was published on the 27 October 2010. One of the things the review team examined was the impact of the reforms on business. David Yeandle, of the Engineering Employers' Federation, was part of the review team to ensure that business interests were well represented in the review process.
	The review team recognised that easing burdens on business was important. So a number of their recommendations are aimed specifically at making things more straightforward for employers and we have accepted these recommendations in full. This includes:
	Increasing the threshold at which an individual is automatically enrolled (currently £5,035 at 2006-07 prices) to align it with the PAYE tax threshold (£7,475 in 2011-12) and aligning the threshold at which contributions become payable (currently £5,035) with the national insurance contributions threshold (currently £5,715).
	A simpler way for employers to check that their defined contribution schemes meet the required standards.
	An optional waiting period of up to three months before an employee needs to be automatically enrolled.
	Such recommendations will give employers greater flexibility in how they implement the new requirements and will mean that there is a much more proportionate impact on employers. The increased earnings threshold and waiting period are particularly beneficial for smaller employers, as they tend to have more lower earners and higher staff turnover.
	The review team recommended a range of further measures specifically aimed at helping smaller businesses including:
	Ensuring that micro employers are aware that the design of NEST specifically takes account of their needs.
	Providing the maximum possible comfort to small employers that they will not be held liable for their scheme choice, particularly if they opt for NEST or a stakeholder pension scheme.
	In addition, smaller businesses will not be required to do anything until 2014, once larger employers have been fully brought in. This gives them more time to prepare and more time for us to ensure that the processes work well. Even then they will not be required to contribute the full 3% minimum contribution until October 2017. New businesses will be given further protection by being brought into the reforms last. Any new businesses set up after April 2012 will not have to automatically enrol until March 2016 at the earliest.
	The Government are taking forward the recommendations from the review as part of the forthcoming Pensions and Savings Bill, which is scheduled for introduction to Parliament in January 2011. The accompanying impact assessment will set out in detail how the changes affect smaller employers.

Pensioners: Cost of Living

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the  (a) consumer price index and  (b) retail price index in measuring the increases in living costs of pensioners.

Steve Webb: The relative effectiveness of the consumer prices index (CPI) and retail prices index (RPI) in measuring the increases in living costs for pensioners has been considered with regards to the coverage or "basket of goods" and methodology of each.
	The CPI excludes mortgage interest payments, which are not relevant to the majority of pensioners: only 7% of pensioners have a mortgage(1). The RPI includes mortgage interest payments, which are variable and consequently can have a marked effect on that index. This means that in some years the RPI faces significant downwards or upwards pressure from a cost of living irrelevant to 93% of pensioners.
	For example, in the 12 months to September 2009 the RPI fell by 1.4%, leading to many pensions being frozen, for example additional state pensions, public service pensions and some occupational pensions. Without downwards pressure from mortgage interest payments, the RPI would have grown by 1.3%(2).
	In addition in terms of population coverage the RPI excludes a significant group of pensioners (pensioner households who receive 75% or more of their income from the state). The CPI includes those pensioners(3).
	The methodology used to calculate the CPI takes into account the fact that many people tend to trade down to cheaper goods when prices rise. This contributes a significant portion of the gap between the CPI and the RPI and is known as the "formula" or "substitution" effect.
	(1) Households Below Average Income 2008-09
	(2) Table 2, Consumer Price Indices Statistical Bulletin, September 2010, Office for National Statistics
	(3) Consumer Prices Index Technical Manual 2010

Personal Income: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the median household income was of a family in  (a) social rented sector,  (b) private rented sector and  (c) owner-occupied accommodation in the East of England (i) before and (ii) after housing costs in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: Estimates of median income by tenure type both before and after housing costs can be derived from the published households below average income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
	
		
			  Table 1: Median income of households, before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC) for the east of England by tenure type, 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			  £ per week, 2008-09 prices 
			  Tenure  BHC  AHC 
			 Owners 469 424 
			 Social Rented Sector Tenants 295 222 
			 All Rented Privately 397 297 
			 1. These statistics are based on the households below average income series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey.  2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.  3. The reference period for households below average income figures are single financial years. Three survey years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility.  4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.  5. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) modified equivalisation factors.  6. Amounts have been rounded to the nearest pound.  7. These statistics are based on incomes before housing costs.  8. All estimates are subject to sampling error.  Source:  Household below average income.

Poverty: Children

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in Great Yarmouth were classified as being in poverty in each year from 2005 to 2009.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the households below average income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
	As they are based on survey data, child poverty estimates published in HBAI only allow breakdowns to Government office region and analysis by parliamentary constituency is not possible. However, figures for East of England are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of children living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median household income for the East of England, before housing costs (BHC) 
			   BHC 
			  Period  Number (million)  Percentage 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.2 15 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.2 16 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.2 15 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 0.2 15 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 0.2 16 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on households below average income (HBAI) data sourced from the 2008-09 Family Resources Survey (FRS). This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for households below average income figures are single financial years. Three survey years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. Numbers of children in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000, while proportions have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. 5. These statistics are based on incomes before housing costs.  Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP

Social Security Benefits

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of household income made up of benefits in kind by net equalised income quintile.

Chris Grayling: The main source of income information, the Households Below Average Income series, includes free school meals, healthy start vouchers, free school milk and TV licences as benefits in kind income. The proportion of gross unequivalised household income made up by these benefits in kind by net equivalised household income quintile before and after housing costs is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Proportion of gross unequivalised household income made up by benefits in kind included in income by net equivalised household income quintile, before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC), 2008/09, United Kingdom 
			  Quintile  Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			 1 1 (1)- 
			 2 (1)- (1)- 
			 3 (1)- (1)- 
			 4 (1)- (1)- 
			 5 (1)- (1)- 
			 Total (1)- (1)- 
			 (1) Less than 0.5% of gross income is made up by those benefits in kind being considered.   Notes:   1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the 2008-09 Family Resources Survey (FRS). This uses net household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.  2. In this analysis, equivalised net household incomes before or after housing costs are used to calculated which quintiles households fall into, but shares of incomes have been calculated using gross unequivalised household incomes. This is in line with the best practice and the HBAI publication.  3. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.   Source:   Household Below Average Income.

Social Security Benefits

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people he expects to transfer from incapacity benefit to jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance by 2015.

Chris Grayling: We expect around 1.5 million existing incapacity benefits customers to go through the IB reassessment process by 2014. Of these the Department's initial projection is that approximately 23% are expected to be assessed as fit for work following their work capability assessment and move off incapacity benefits, of which around half are expected to go to JSA. The remaining 77%, are expected to be assessed as having a limited capability for work and move to ESA with around three-quarters moving to the Work Related Activity Group.
	It should be noted that these are projections for reassessment outcomes-there are no targets.

Social Security Benefits

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in receipt of housing benefit in each local authority area include a claimant in receipt of disability premium on the basis of being incapable of work for over 12 months and no qualifying benefit.

Steve Webb: The information is not available.
	Information is collected on whether claimants are in receipt of a disability premium on the new Single Housing Benefit Extract. However this information has not yet been quality assured to National Statistics standard, and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

State Retirement Pensions

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 October 2010,  Official Report, column 117W, on state retirement pensions, how many people who were in receipt of a full state pension before 6 April 2009 had not accrued the full number of entitlement years by means of their own national insurance contributions, their spouse's national insurance contributions or bought-back years.

Steve Webb: At the end of the 2008-09 tax year there were 1.6 million people over state pension age in GB and overseas with entitlement to a full basic state pension who had not accrued the requisite number of qualifying years solely by means of paid contributions of any class.
	 Notes:
	1. The answer shows the number of people with full entitlement to basic state pension who accrued their entitlement from 1975 onwards wholly or in part through national insurance credits or home responsibilities protection.
	2. Due to insufficient data all recorded pre-1975 contributions are assumed to be paid contributions.
	3. Figure excludes individuals for whom entitlement to full basic pension is derived wholly or in part from their former spouse's national insurance contributions.
	4. The figure is for individuals reaching state pension age before 6 April 2009. These individuals are not affected by changes to the calculation of entitlement to the basic state pension for people reaching state pension age from 6 April 2010.
	 Source:
	DWP, Information Directorate: Lifetime Labour Market Database 1% sample of the National Insurance Recording System.

State Second Pension

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) men and  (b) women will be affected by uprating the additional state pension with reference to the consumer price index by 2014-15.

Steve Webb: The following table shows the number of  (a) men and  (b) women expected to be in receipt of additional state pension in 2014-15, and therefore affected by uprating of additional state pension using the consumer prices index.
	
		
			  State second pension, state earnings-related pension scheme and graduated retirement benefit caseload by gender, 2014-15 
			   Thousand 
			 Male 4,700 
			 Female 5,700 
			  Notes:  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100,000.  2. Forecasts are based on the June 2010 Budget medium-term projections. 3. Figures cover Great Britain residents only.

TREASURY

Bank Levy

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made an estimate of the amount likely to be paid out in bonuses by the largest banks to staff in  (a) investment banking and  (b) other divisions of those banks from December 2010 to April 2011.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 18 November 2010
	Estimates for bonuses at the level of detail specified in the question have not been made.

Banks: Pay

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of the (i) British Bankers' Association and (ii) Investment Management Association to discuss remuneration disclosure.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Banks: Regulation

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's policy is on the implementation of the recommendations of the Walker Review of the corporate governance of the UK banking industry; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government are committed to a robust remuneration disclosure regime and the principles set out in Sir David Walker's report, and will make an announcement in due course.

Child Benefit

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the average effect on the income of  (a) a single household with an income above £44,000 per annum and  (b) a multiple income household with combined incomes above £45,000 per annum in which no-one earns more than £44,000 of his proposed change to child benefit arrangements.

David Gauke: The average effect of the proposed change is dependent on the number of children in each family affected. Families with one child will lose around £1,060 per annum while families with two children will lose around £1,750 per annum.
	There are no higher-rate taxpayers in households in which no-one earns more than £44,000 so there will be no impact on these families.

Child Benefit

David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the cost of administering child benefit.

David Gauke: The Chancellor has received a number of representations on the cost of administering child benefit. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Child Benefit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of families with at least one higher rate taxpayer are eligible for child benefit payments in each  (a) constituency and  (b) region.

David Gauke: Estimates of the number and proportion of families who are eligible for child benefit in 2010-11 and have at least one higher rate taxpayer are shown in the table, by Government office region.
	Information on household income for child benefit claimants is not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	
		
			  Region  Number of families who are eligible for child benefit and have at least one higher rate taxpayer( 1, 2, 3)  Proportion of families eligible for child benefit that have at least one higher rate taxpayer (%)( 1, 3) 
			 North-east 40,000 11 
			 North-west 100,000 11 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 70,000 11 
			 East midlands 60,000 12 
			 West midlands 90,000 13 
			 East of England 130,000 19 
			 London 220,000 24 
			 South-east 280,000 28 
			 South-west 90,000 15 
			 Wales 30,000 8 
			 Scotland 100,000 16 
			 Northern Ireland 20,000 10 
			 United Kingdom 1,200,000 17 
			 (1) These estimates are produced using the Inter-Governmental Tax and Benefit Model (IGOTM), which is based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS). As with any survey based estimates, they are subject to sampling error.  (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.  (3) For this table a family is based on a 'benefit unit' as defined in the FRS.

Child Benefit: Young People

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he has made an estimate of the number of  (a) men and  (b) women who received child benefit payments in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of households which are entitled to child benefit payments for children over the age of 16 years;
	(3)  how many households received child benefit payments for children over the age of 16 years in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

David Gauke: holding answer 13 October 2010
	As at August 2009, there were 640,000 men and 6,680,000 women who were in receipt of child benefit. An equivalent breakdown for 2008 is not available.
	Information on the number of households which are entitled to child benefit payments for children over the age of 16 years is not available. But as at August 2009 there were 1,150,000 households who were in receipt of child benefit in respect of a young person aged over 16 years. At August 2008 there were 1,070,000 households.

Credit Unions

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to support local credit unions.

Mark Hoban: The coalition Government have committed to fostering diversity, promoting mutuals and creating a more competitive banking industry.
	The Legislative Reform (Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions) Order 2010 will be re-laid before Parliament in the next few weeks. The new measures will enable credit unions to expand their membership and range of services, and reduce regulatory burdens on the sector. In addition, the Government will consult shortly on electronic communications in the mutual sector. This would allow credit unions and other mutual societies to use electronic communications in discharging some of their statutory obligations which would help the sector to reduce its administrative costs.

Crown Currency Exchange

Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Financial Services Authority on reports by Currency Index in February 2010 on Crown Currency Exchange.

Mark Hoban: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Esher and Walton on 28 October 2010,  Official Report, column 426W.

Debts: Disadvantaged

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has had on the effects on people in deprived areas of high levels of debt.

Justine Greening: holding answer 13 October 2010
	Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.
	On 13 July 2010, the Government announced a review of consumer credit and personal insolvency. The Government want to ensure that the regulatory framework is fair to both consumers and the providers of credit. The review will cover all aspects of the consumer credit lifecycle from the decision to take out a loan through the lifetime of the loan, including what happens when things go wrong. The review will be jointly conducted by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and HM Treasury. The Government recently published a call for evidence in support of the review which can be accessed via the BIS website at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/consumer-issues/consumer-credit-and-debt/managing-borrowing.
	The closing date for responses to the call for evidence is 10 December 2010.

Departmental Civil Service Live Conference

Graham Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was of the  (a) HM Revenue and Customs,  (b) Government Banking Service,  (c) Government Finance Profession and  (d) Buying Solutions stand at Civil Service Live 2010.

Justine Greening: The costs of the stands at Civil Service Live 2010 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   £ 
			 HM Revenue and Customs 7,600 
			 Government Banking Service 8,000 
			 Government Finance Profession 2,400 
			 Buying Solutions 10,000

Departmental Lobbying

Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent from the public purse on influencing public policy through  (a) employing external (i) public affairs companies, (ii) strategic consultancies and (iii) corporate communications firms,  (b) external marketing and  (c) other activities in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  which of his Department's non-departmental public bodies have undertaken activities to influence public policy for which they engaged  (a) public affairs and  (b) public relations consultants in each year since 1997; and at what monetary cost in each such year.

Justine Greening: None of the Treasury's agencies or non-departmental public bodies have engaged in activities or spent public funds on influencing public policy.

Departmental Official Cars

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Ministers in his Department have used an allocated Ministerial car to travel between the Department and the House of Commons on each day since 21 May 2010.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson) on 29 June 2010,  Official Report, column 498W.
	Records are not kept of the destination of journeys using allocated ministerial cars. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in July 2010;
	(3)  how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in  (a) September and  (b) October 2010.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr Maude) on 26 July 2010,  Official Report, column 734W.

Departmental Speeches

Angela Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which  (a) (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers in his Department and (b) other individuals are employed to write speeches for each Minister in his Department.

Justine Greening: Treasury staff contribute to the drafting of ministerial speeches as appropriate. Special advisers also contribute to the preparation of speeches in line with their code of conduct.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on overseas visits for senior officials in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Justine Greening: Information on spending on overseas visits by grade level is not available within the disproportionate costs threshold. Spending on overseas travel and subsistence by Ministers and all staff in 2009-10 was £1,296,000.

EC Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to his Department of compliance with regulations arising from EU obligations in the last 12 months.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury, like any employer, has to act in accordance with regulations. However, there is no breakdown of the costs imposed on it by EU regulations. Any such information that does exist is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EU Budget

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2010,  Official Report, column 896W, on the EC budget, whether he plans to discuss at EU level the re-orientation of the EU budget towards addressing issues of climate change and energy security.

Justine Greening: The Government engage regularly and actively on EU reform issues with other EU member states and with our EU partners at all levels. Formal negotiations of the future of the EU Budget will begin when the EU Commission issue their proposal for the 2014-2020 Financial Framework, expected by July 2011.
	The Government believe the EU Budget should reflect the fiscal deficit. However, within that framework, the EU should modernise its budget to do more to tackle the challenges of the 21st century: global competitiveness, global warming and global poverty. But this must not come at the cost of higher EU spending overall.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department and its non-departmental public bodies of implementing and monitoring compliance with legislation transposing EU requirements in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: It is not standard accounting practice to distinguish regulatory costs from overall running costs, whether of EU origin or domestic. There is therefore no pre-existing breakdown of the costs imposed on it by EU legislation upon which the Department can draw to produce an estimate of such compliance. Any such information that does exist is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Excise Duties: Beer

Therese Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many brewers that received small breweries relief in 2009-10 had received such relief in previous years;
	(2)  how many of the breweries liable for a reduced rate of duty under the small breweries relief scheme in 2008-09 participated in the scheme in 2009-10;
	(3)  which brewers participated in the small breweries relief scheme in each year since 2002; and how much beer produced by each has qualified for such relief;
	(4)  how much the Exchequer has forgone in duty under small breweries relief in each year since 2002; and in respect of how many brewers.

Justine Greening: In 2009-10 there were 666 breweries that paid duty at a reduced rate due to the small breweries' relief. Of these 578 also benefited in 2008-09, while 503 did so in 2007-08.
	Information on specific breweries is taxpayer confidential and therefore cannot be disclosed by HMRC.
	The foregone duty can be approximated by applying the full duty rate to small breweries' clearances. This gives us an estimated cost to the Exchequer of £125 million since 2002-03. However this does not account for any reduction in clearances that may have resulted if the relief was not in place; over this period the number of breweries utilising the small breweries relief has grown from under 400 to over 650.
	A yearly breakdown is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Number  Clearances (hl)  Estimated Exchequer cost (£m) 
			 2002-03 394 850,000 5 
			 2003-04 428 600,000 10 
			 2004-05 476 1,050,000 20 
			 2005-06 509 1,100,000 15 
			 2006-07 580 950,000 15 
			 2007-08 611 1,100,000 15 
			 2008-09 646 1,100,000 20 
			 2009-10 666 1,150,000 25

Members: Correspondence

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Torbay of 8 June 2010, on Early Day Motion 61.

Justine Greening: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Minimum Wage

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid to employees in arrears under national minimum wage legislation following enforcement action by HM Revenue and Customs since 6 April 2009.

David Gauke: HMRC has identified minimum wage arrears of almost £6.7 million between April 2009 and the end of October 2010. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs does not keep separate statistics on the amount of arrears paid or not paid to workers.
	HMRC will pursue any known non-payment of arrears through civil recovery action.

Mortgages

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the Financial Service Authority's estimate of the likely effect on house prices of its mortgage market proposals; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the implications for its policy on home ownership of the effects on the availability of mortgage finance of the implementation of the Financial Service Authority's mortgage market proposals;
	(3)  whether he has made an assessment of the likely effects of the implementation of the Financial Service Authority's mortgage market proposals on the  (a) housing market,  (b) level of availability of mortgages and  (c) supply of new homes;
	(4)  whether he has discussed with the Council of Mortgage Lenders  (a) the Financial Service Authority's responsible lending proposals and  (b) the likely effects on the housing market of their implementation;
	(5)  what mechanisms will be in place to ensure that  (a) self-employed and  (b) other future home-buyers with variable incomes will have access to mortgages under the Financial Service Authority's proposals for the mortgage market;
	(6)  whether he has assessed the likely effects of the Financial Service Authority's mortgage market proposals on small businesses with a turnover of under £1 million;
	(7)  what mechanisms will be in place to assist borrowers who are unable to remortgage a property under the Financial Service Authority's mortgage market proposals.

Mark Hoban: The Government are committed to a healthy housing and mortgage market.
	The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is conducting a wholesale review of mortgage regulation in the UK, the 'Mortgage Market Review'.
	The Government believe that it is right for the FSA to ensure that the UK mortgage market has responsible lending practices. We will continue to work with the FSA, mortgage lenders and intermediaries, and consumer groups to ensure a mortgage market that is sustainable for all participants.
	The FSA published "Mortgage Market Review: Responsible Lending" in July, which set out the detail of some proposed changes. This paper forms one part of an ongoing consultation process.
	The FSA has stated that they will fully assess the potential impact on the market before implementing any rule changes. Further, the FSA will consult in 2011 on transitional measures to help mitigate any adverse effects on existing borrowers.
	Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Mortgages

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the  (a) level of availability and  (b) price range of mortgages.

Mark Hoban: Decisions concerning the pricing and availability of mortgages remain commercial decisions for individual banks and building societies. The Government do not seek to intervene in these decisions.
	The Government are committed to fostering diversity and promoting competition in the banking sector. A competitive banking sector ensures that the economy benefits from the right quantity of banking products and services on offer at an economically efficient price. Competition is also a spur to innovation and economic growth.

National Insurance: Members

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the proposed national insurance holiday for employers establishing new businesses will apply to new constituency offices opened by hon. Members first elected in 2010.

David Gauke: The regional employer National Insurance Contributions holiday for new businesses applies to new businesses set up on or after 22 June 2010. For the purposes of the holiday a business is defined as a trade, profession or vocation, or property businesses or investment businesses.
	The holiday does not apply to new constituency offices opened by hon. Members first elected in 2010.

Public Expenditure

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will analyse the potential effects across  (a) household income distribution and  (b) household spending distribution of overall spending reductions agreed in the spending review;
	(2)  if he will analyse the potential effects across  (a) household income distribution and  (b) household spending distribution of spending reductions by each Department agreed in the spending review.

Justine Greening: For the first time at the spending review, the distributional impacts of changes in tax, welfare and Departmental Expenditure Limits have been presented. Chart B.6 (p100) in Annex B of the spending review shows that the top 20% of earners contribute most to the fiscal consolidation as a percentage of net income and benefits-in-kind. Given that no changes to indirect taxation were announced at spending review, distributional impacts by expenditure distribution have not been shown in the document. Estimates of indirect tax measures announced at the June Budget by expenditure decile can be found in Charts A3 and A4 (p68) in Annex A of the June Budget.

Research and Development Tax Credit

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent on the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Research and Development tax credit scheme since its inception; and how many businesses have participated in that scheme.

David Gauke: Annual numbers and costs of R and D tax credit claims, including those under the SME scheme, are published as National Statistics on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate_tax/randdtcmenu.htm
	The most recent figures, published on 29 October 2010, cover financial years 2000-01 to 2008-09, during which period 17,110 companies have made claims under the SME scheme totalling £1.72 billion.

Revenue and Customs: Databases

Claire Perry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate HM Revenue and Customs has made of the cost to British businesses of implementing the new iXBRL data system in the financial year  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

David Gauke: HMRC published an updated impact assessment in April 2009. The work on XBRL was largely qualitative, rather than quantitative. There have been rapid developments in the XBRL market over recent months, and HMRC will be reviewing the figures shown in the impact assessment using its normal post implementation procedures in due course.

Revenue and Customs: Legal Costs

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs has spent on legal costs in cases involving the FA Premier League and clubs playing in that league in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: All sums of money in this answer have been rounded to the nearest £1,000.
	In 2006, 2007 and 2008 HMRC spent nothing on legal costs in cases involving the FA Premier League and clubs playing in that league.
	In 2009, HMRC Solicitor's Office recorded solicitors' time charges and other costs of £8,000 in such cases.
	So far in 2010, HMRC Solicitor's Office has recorded solicitors' time charges and other costs of £170,000 and spent £102,000 + VAT on Counsel's fees in such cases.
	Some of these costs are recoverable from other parties. Portsmouth City Football Club Ltd ("PCFC") was ordered to pay HMRC's legal costs of its unsuccessful attempt to have HMRC's winding-up petition struck out. These were agreed by the joint administrators of PCFC in the sum of £100,000. This is, however, a debt which is subject to the terms of PCFC's company voluntary arrangement ("CVA"), and HMRC therefore only expects to recover these costs to the extent of 20p in the £.
	The joint administrators of PCFC were also ordered to pay HMRC's legal costs of its challenge to the validity of their appointment. These costs are an expense of the administration and so are not subject to the terms of the CVA. HMRC therefore expects to recover these costs in full. The amount of these costs has yet to be agreed between HMRC and the joint administrators of PCFC.
	Finally, HMRC was ordered to pay the legal costs of the joint administrators of PCFC in relation to HMRC's unsuccessful challenge to the CVA in the High Court. The joint administrators' claim was for £335,000 and HMRC has been ordered to pay £200,000 of this on account. The final liability under this head will only be known once the joint administrators' claim has been subject to detailed assessment by the court. It will not under any circumstances exceed £335,000 plus the costs of assessment; but it may in the event be substantially less than £335,000 depending upon the view that the court takes of the reasonableness of the amounts claimed.

Revenue and Customs: Manpower

Jim McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the potential effect of the implementation of proposed changes in the benefits system on the number of people employed by HM Revenue and Customs at its offices  (a) in Dundee and  (b) nationally.

David Gauke: holding answer 29 November 2010
	I understand the hon. Member is referring to the changes outlined in the White Paper 'Universal Credit: Welfare that Works'.
	It is not possible to be precise at this point of time about the impact of the transition to Universal Credit until further decisions have been made on the operational design of the new system.

Revenue and Customs: Sponsorship

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2010,  Official Report, column 274W, on incentives, what activities HM Revenue and Customs sponsored in 2009-10; and how much it spent on each sponsorship activity.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 November,  Official Report, column 274W.
	The amount spent on sponsorship in 2009-10 was £542,034. This was spent on the development and production of The Business Inspector TV programme. This figure includes all related fees, website support and sponsorship advertising but excludes VAT.

Tax Collection

Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what commission rates apply to the contracts of HM Revenue and Customs for tax debts collection services with  (a) Commercial Collection Services Ltd,  (b) Credit Solutions Ltd,  (c) Fairfax Solicitors Ltd and  (d) iQor Recovery Services Ltd.

David Gauke: holding answer 25 November 2010
	The commission rates payable are commercially confidential and it would not be appropriate to disclose them.

Taxation: Financial Services

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the tax yield from a financial activities tax levied at a rate of  (a) 0.01 per cent.,  (b) 0.025 per cent,  (c) 0.05 per cent.,  (d) 0.1 per cent and  (e) 1 per cent. on (i) all UK financial institutions and (ii) internal UK financial transactions.

Mark Hoban: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) report for the G20, 'A Fair and Substantial Contribution by the Financial Sector', endorses a financial activities tax (FAT) which would be levied on the sum of certain profits and remuneration in the financial sector. The IMF report puts forward several potential designs for a FAT. As announced in the June Budget, the Government are currently examining the costs and benefits of a FAT. At this stage it is not possible to estimate revenues.

Taxation: Multinational Companies

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many inquiries under controlled foreign companies legislation had been settled in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11 on the latest date for which figures are available.;
	(2)  how many inquiries under controlled foreign companies legislation are open.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 18 November 2010
	It is difficult to give a precise answer to this question as the controlled foreign company (CFC) inquiry is often part of a wider investigation. However, our best estimate of the number of inquiries that are open under the controlled foreign companies legislation is 190.
	Similarly CFC issues will have featured in settlements as part of a wider investigation of a number of issues, but our best estimate of the number of inquiries that have been settled under the controlled foreign companies legislation in the following years are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2008-09 72 
			 2009-10 89 
			 2010-11 29

VAT

Nick Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent meetings he has had on the matter of value added tax zero-rating.

David Gauke: Treasury Ministers hold meetings with and receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and representations.

VAT: Further Education

Damian Hinds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what representations he has received from sixth form colleges and further education colleges on community use of their facilities and the value added tax rate applied to building construction; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will change the threshold of community usage of facilities of sixth form colleges and further education colleges above which buildings construction becomes liable for value added tax in order to encourage colleges to make their facilities more widely available to the community.

David Gauke: Treasury Ministers receive representations on a range of subjects; none have been received from sixth form or further education colleges on this matter.
	The construction costs of a building intended to be used solely for a relevant charitable use (that is, use by a charity for a non-business purpose) are zero-rated for VAT. This could include buildings used by sixth form and further education colleges.
	For those establishments, based on individual circumstances, HMRC accept that a building does not need to be used wholly for non-business activity to qualify for the zero rate. For simplification purposes and by application of their collection and management powers, HMRC accept that such a building can be zero-rated providing its relevant use is at least 95%. Reducing the relevant use below this figure would constitute an extension of the zero rate, which we are prevented from doing under agreements with our EU partners.

Welfare Tax Credits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on the number of employees of FTSE 100 companies who are in receipt of tax credits.

David Gauke: The information requested is not available.